THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

GIFT  OF 

Lenfis  F.  Lengfeld 


Mr. 


DISCOURSES 

O    N 

RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY. 


Religious   Liberty    an  invaluable 
Ble/mg: 

ILLUSTRATED  in   TW.Q 

DISCOURSES 

?• 

Preached  at  Roxbury  Dec?*  3.  1767- 

Being  the  Day  of  general 
THANKSGIVING, 

By  AMOS  ADAMS,  A.  M. 

Paftor  of  the  firft  Church  in   Roxbury. 


Ffal.  xliv.  1,2.  We  have  beard  with  our  Ears*  O  Gody 
our  Fathers  have  told  us,  what  Work  Thou  didft  In  their 
Days^in  the  Times  of  old  \  how  Thou  did  ft  drive  out  the 
Heathen  with  thy  Hand^  and  planteft,  them  5  how  Thou, 
didjl  afflitt  the  People^  and  caft  them  out. 

Exod.  xv.  2. -My  Fathers  God  and  I  will  exalt 


B    O    S    T    0    JST:    N, 

Printed  by  KNEE  LAND,  and  ADAMS,  in 

for  THOMAS  LEYERET.XJ  in  Corn-H^ll.    176^* 


Religious  Liberty  an  invalu 
able   Bleffing. 


r  D  I  S  C  O  U  R  S  E  I.  H 

G  A  L  A  T  I  A  N  S    V.  i. 

«StoJ  /*/?  therefore  in  ths  Liberty  -wherewith  Chrift 
hath  made  us  free^  and  le  not  entanghd  again  with 
the  Yoke  of  'Bondage.  ' 


Yoke  of  bondage,  which  the  Apbflle 

"M^S  fpsa^s  °f  i°  tae  tex*>  was  tne  ri^s 
|  (j|j)  and  ceremonies  of  the  mofaic  law. 
'M'$)  Many,  in  that  day,  pretended  to  em- 
_^ll  brace  the  chriftian  faith,  but,  at  the 
fame  time,  taught  and  praftifed  circumcifion  aiid 
obedience  to  the  law  of  Mofes.  This  the  Apoflle 
confidered  as  an  abridgment  of  chriftian  liberty, 
an:l  an  unreafonahle  impofuion,  efp^cially,  on  the 
Gentile  converts.  This  the  1\  potties  called  a  yoke — 
wbicb  neither  our  fathers  nor  we  were  able  to  bear  ; 
and  in  this  epiftle,  it  is  called  a  being  in  bondage, 
under  the  elements  of  this  world.  'The  principal 
of  this?  and  of  fome  other  of  St.  Paul's, 

epiftles, 


6  Religious  Liberty 

epjftles,  iJ  to  vindicate  the  liberty  of  believers  from 
th'e  obligation  of  the  mofaic  law,  and  to  fhow,  that 
by.  embracing  the  law,  they  do  virtually  renounce 
Chrift  and  fall  from  the  doctrines  of  grace.  Hav- 
ing thus  vindicated  the  liberty  of  chriftians  from 
legal  impofitions,  he,  in  the  text,  fervently  exhorts 
them  to  ftand  faft  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Chrift 
hath  made  them  free,  and  be  not  entangled  again  with 
(be  yoke  of  bondage.  In  difcourfing  on  thefe 
words,  I  fhall, 

I.  SHEW,  that   chriftianity  is  a  fy  ft  em  of  the 
moft  perfect  and  valuable  religious  liberty. 

II.  NEVERTHELESS,  chriftia|)s  have  fomettmes 
had  this  liberty  abridged,  land  have  groaned 
under  the  unfcriptural:  impositions  of  men. 

III.  I  SHALL  take  a  brief  view  of  the  religious 
liberty ,  which  God,  in  his  good  providence, 
hath  granted  and  is  continuing  to  the  chur- 
ches,  in  this  land. 

IV.  SHOW,  that  it  is  highly  incumbent  on   us 
to  underftand,  and  praife  God,  for  our  reli- 
gious priviledges  •,    and   to  ftand  faft  in  the 
liberty,  wherewith  Chrift  hath  made  us  free. 

AND  while  I  am  difcourfing  to  you,  on  this  fub- 
ject,  I  mall  not  think,  that  I  have  altogether  mif- 
took  the  defign  of  this  anniverfary  day^  on  which, 
our  religious  priviledges  ought  to  be  one  principal 
article  of  our  joy  and  thankfgiving. 

I.  CHRISTIANITY  is  a  fyftem  of  the  moft  perfect 
and  valuable  religious  liberty.  Whoever  will  be 
at  the  pains  to  confider  the  genius  and  fpirit  of* 

chriftianity^ 


an  Invaluable  BleJJlng.  *y 

chriftianity,  as  laid  down  by  Chrift  and  hifc'Apbftles, 
will  find,  that  it  is,  on  every  account,  a  fytterri  of 
the  moil  perfect  liberty. 

NOT  that  it  relaxes  our  obligations  to  perfect 
and  univerfal  holinefs ;  or  is,  in  any  fenfe,  friendly 
to  licentioufnefs  :  The  law  of  God,  in  its  fpiritual 
meaning,  is  not  fet  afide,  nor  toleration^  in  any 
fingle  inftance,  given  for  fenfual  indulgence.  The 
Apoftles  ever  difavowed  fuch  a  doctrine  :  preach- 
ing, that  we  are  not  without  Jaw  to  God,  but  nuder 
the  law  to  Jefus  Chrift.  They  called  on  chriftians  ; 
for  brethren^  ye  have  been  called  unto  liberty  ;  only 
afe  not  liberty  for  an  occafion  to  the  flejh,  but  by  love 
fcrve  one  another* 

BUT  yet  the  gofpel  breaths  the  fpirit  of  religious 
liberty — liberty  from  the  guilt  of  fin,  and  the  con- 
demnation of  the  law.  Liberty  from  the  dominion 
of  fin,  the  flavery  of  fatan.-— Liberty  from  the  ele- 
ments of  the  jewifh  law,  and  liberty  from  the  im- 
pofitions  of  men  •,  conceding  to  every  man,  that 
fundamental  right  of  nature,  to  examine  and  judge 
for  himfelf,  in  matters  of  religion  -,  and  to  worfhip 
God,  according  to  the  dictates  of  confcience,  and 
the  institutions  of  the  head  of  the  church,  without 
the  impojitions  of  mankind.  Thcfe  are  glorious 
liberties  of  the  /ons  of  God. 

OUR  Saviour  early  intimated,  that  his  was  to 
to  be  a  kingdom  of  reft  and  liberty  ?  that  is,  at 
Jeaft>  one  thing  implied  in  that  gracious  invitation, 
Mat.  XI.  28.  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  1  will  give  you  reft.  And  a- 
gain,  Joh.  VIII.  36.  If  the  Son,  therefore,  /ball 
make  you  free,  yeJJoall  be  free  indeed.  Before  Pilate 
Our  Lord  declared,  John  XVIII,  36,  My  kingdom 

is 


8  Religious  Liberty 

is  not  of  this  world.  Mat.  XX.  25.  Te  know  : 
ibe  'princes  of  the  Gentiles  excrcife  dominion  ever 
them — but  it  Jh all  not  be  fo  among  you  :  But  wbcfo- 
ever  will  be grtat  among  you,  let  him  be  your  minifter  j 
and  whofcever  will  be  chief  among  ycu'Jet  him  be  yctir 
fervant. — The  Apodles,  though  divinely  infpired, 
did  not  pretend  to  be  the  lords  ofimens  fait-h  •,  they 
recommended  careful  .enquiry,  and  defired  no 
means  of  propagating  the  chriftian  dodtrine  and 
worfhip,  among  Jews  or  Gentiles,  but,  by  me.n:.fefta- 
lion  of  the  Irutb^  and  giving  miraculous  witncfs  to 
the  fame.  They  cqndantly  .called  on  men  to  at- 
tend the  evidences  of  truths  of  fuch  unalterable 
confequence  •,  not,  fays  an  infpired  Apottle.,  that 
we  have  dominion  over  your  faith,  but  are  helpers  of 
your  joy.  They  called  on  men  to  extrcife  their 
own  judgment ';  and,  in  points  of  controverfys, 
gave  this  advice,  Rom.  XIV.  5.  Let  every  man  bs 
fully  perfwaded  in  his  own  mind.  Chriilians  are 
dri&ly  forbidden  judging  and  condemning  one  a- 
nother,  ver.  4.:  Who  art  then  that  judgeft  another 
marts  fervant  ?  fd  his  cwn  mailer  he  flandeth  cr 
falleth.  Ver.  10,  But  why  do  ft  thou  judge  thy  bro- 
ther, or  fet  at  nought  thy  brother  ?  For  we  f/oall  all 
Jland,  at  the  judgment-Jeat  of  Jefus  Chrijt.  The 
^Apoftles  knew  that  chriftianity,  in  its  fads,  docl- 
rines,  forms  of  worfhip  and  difcipline,  could  not 
fuffer,  by  the  freed  and  fulled  enquiry.  Although 
they  were  fully  perfwaded  of  its  truth  and  excel- 
lency, yet  they  defired  no  one  to  be  followers  of 
them,  but,  fo  far  as  they  gave  evidence,  that  chri- 
ftianity was  from  heaven.  In  fhort,  the  Apoftle 
James  I.  25.  exactly  defcribes  the  nature  of  the 
gofpel,  and  the  fpirit  it  univerfally  breaths,  when 
he  calls  it,  the  law  of  liberty,  and  tells  us  we 
Jhall  bt  judged  by  the  law  of  liberty. 

II. 


an  invaluable  Blejfingl,  *$ 

II.  ALTHOUGH  religious  liberty  be  fuch  an  un-»' 
alienable  right  of  nature,  and  fo  fully  maintained 
in  the  gofpel  of  Chrift,  yet  there  have  been  fre- 
quent  attempts  to  deprive  chriftians  of  this  liberty* 
Heathens  and  chriftians,  Jews  and  Gentiles  have 
united,  in  violating  the  rights  of  confcience  -,  im- 
pofing,  either  the  worfhip  of  falfe  gods,  or  elfe  the 
doctrines  and  injunctions /of  men.  refpe&ing  the 
worfhip  of  the  true  God.  .  , 

THE  firft  enemies  to  Chrift,  and  the  liberties  of 
his  kingdom,  were  the  unbelieving  Jews.  As 
they,  all  along,  fet  themfilves  againft  Chrift,  and 
crucifyed  the  Lord  of  glory,  fo,  when  the  gofpel 
was  preached,  and  chriftianity  began  to  fpread, 
after  our  Lord's  afcenfion  ;  especially,  when  the 
word  was  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  and  they  re- 
ceived into  the  church,  without  circumcifion,  thej? 
aroufed,  and  exerted  themfelves  to  oppofe  the 
doctrines  oY  the  Apoftles.  Wherever  thefe  came^ 
preaching,  the  gofpel,  thofe  infidels  ftired  up  the 
people  to  perfecute  and  deftroy  them.  ;  Almoft,  if 
not  quite,  all  the  oppofition,  which  the  Apoftles 
met  with,  proceeded  from  the  malice  and  zeal  of 
the  Jews  (tiring  up  the  heathen  to  perfecute  the 
followers  of  Jefys.  The  Roman  government  feems 
to  have  been  lefs  zealous,  in  the  perfecution  of  the 
chriftians,  than  thefe  biggoted  Jews.  Many,  who 
did,  in  a  fenfe,  embrace  chriftianity,  were  yet  ex- 
treamly  fond  of  retaining  the  jewifh  rites,  and 
could  not  be  content  without  impofing  them  on  the 
confciences  of  the  Gentile  converts.  Often  does  Sr. 
Paul  warn  chriftians  of  judaizing  teachers ;  much 
does  he  fay  to  eftablifti  them  in  their  liberty.  In 
Gal.  II.  4»he  fpeaks  of  falfe  brethren^  unawares 
brought  in,  who  came  in  privily  to  fpy  out  our  liber  ty, 
which  we  have  in  Gbrift  Jefus,  that  they  might  bring 
•M  into  bondage,  0 

;B 


Ib  Religious  Liberty 

WHEN  chriftianity  fpread,  and  became  an  ob- 
ject of  general  atteritibn,  it  alarmed  the  zeal  of  the 
Htatben  world,  and  they  became  the  fuccefibrs  of 
the  Jews  in  perfecuting  the  church  of  God.  The 
Pagans  were  ilrongly  poiTefied  in  favour  of  their 
national  religion  •,  of  their  gods  and  lacrifices  ; 
temples  and  altars  ;  their  feftivals  and  facred  mi- 
fiiftrations,  which,  they  found, the  chriftian  religion 
was  defigned  to  overthrow.  They  were  jealous 
of  thi?  woHhip  of  the  gods  ;  and  though  they  did 
not  refufe  to  admit  the  faviour  of  the  world  into 
the  number  of  the  gods,  yet,  when  they  faw  the 
crr'iftians  abandoning  the  pagan  gods  and  their 
worfhip,  they  were  enraged.  When  they  faw  men 
convinced  by  the  light  of  truth,  and  confciemioufly 
turning  from  dumb  idols,  to  Jerve  the  living  God,  and 
wait  for  his  f on  Jrom  heaven^  the  aid  of  the  civil 
majeftrate  was  implored,  to  extirpate  fo  dangerous 
an  herefy.  The  Roman  Emperors,  at  lead  many 
b'F  them,  became  the  furious  perfecutors  of  the  dif- 
cipleg — -the  harmlefs  followers  of  the  lowly  Jefus ; 
until  tht  reign  of  Cvnftantine,  the  firft  chriftian 
Emperor,  by  whorh,  chriflianity  received  a  civil 
eftablifhmenr,  in  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury. Before  this  time,  thdtifands  of  holy  Martyrs 
had  fealed  the  teftimony  of  Jefus  with  their  blood. 
Bin  fo  far  were  thefe  violent  and  unreafonable  per- 
fecutions,  of  quiet  and  good  fubjecls,  who  defired 
only  to  live  in  all  good  confcierice,  towards  God 
and  n1an>  from  rooting  out  the  chriftian  religion, 
that  they  ferved  but  to  propagate  it  the  more  ; 
multitudes  feeing  the  patience  and  conftancy  of 
the  Martyrs,  under  the  crueleft  fufTerings,  em- 
braced the  religion,  for  which  they  dyed  Thefe 
violent  perfecutions,  doubtlefs,  awakned  thoulands 
to  examine  into  a  religion,  that  had  fo  many  to 


0#  invaluable  BleJJing.  *r 

$ye  for  it  ;  and  it  hath,  from  that  time,  been  a 
pommon  faying,  that  tbe  Mood  of  the  Martyrs  was 
(he  feed  of  tbe  ihurcb. 

UNDER  Conft  anting  the  empire  became  chriftian. 
Paganifm  was  abolifhed  by  imperial  E4i$s%  an$ 
phriftianity  became  the  national,  the  eftablimed  re- 
ligion of  the  Roman  empire.  The  chriftian  em- 
peror^ heaped  many  honours  and  priviledges  orji 
the  evangelic  miniftry  -,  dignity  and  wealth  be- 
came the  temptations  to  ecclefiaftical  functions, 
The  purity  of  the  chriftian  miniftry  was  loft  ;  the 
f;mplicity  of  chriftian  manners  was  fadly  corrupted, 
an  awful  example  was  It  ft,  to  teach  us,  how  little^ 
temporal  power  can  do  to  advance  r&z/chriftianity  ; 
yea,  i  might  fay,  how  contrary  the  dignities  and 
riches  of  this  world  are  to  |he  fimplicity  of  the 
gofpel. 

NOTHING  is  more  natural  to  us  than  adefire  to, 
impofe  our  own  judgment  on  our  fellow  men  ;  we 
earneftly  wi(h  to  bring  all  men  to  a  conformity  to 
our  own  judgments  and  manners.  Ibis  is  an  in- 
ttance  of  the  natural  pride  of  our  hearts.  ?"£/> 
was  the  fcource  of  pagan  perfecution,  and  this  prin- 
ciple produced  infinite  mifchiefs  in'  the  chriftian 
world  Pride,  working  in  the  hearts  of  profeflbrs 
would  not  long  fuffer  the  church  to  be  quiet,  in 
the  free  enjoy  [pen  t  of  the  rights  of  confcience.  As 
chnftians  could  not,  in  every  thing,  think  alike, 
frequent  attempts  were  made  to  propagate  the 
opinions  of  men,  concerning  faith  and  worlhip,  by 
the  decrees  of  councils,  and  fyncds — i\\zfeculat  arm 
was  foon  called  in,  and  employed,  to  enforce  the 
decrees  of  councils  •,  and  they,  who  could  not  fub- 
icribe  to  forms,  of  human  invention,  were  perie- 
cl,  excommunicated,  and  driven  into  banifli- 
B  2 


Religious  Liberty 

ment  and  death.  Thus,  in  a  few  ages,  we  find 
councils  againft  councils,  fathers  ao;ainft  fatheisf' 
fe<5ts  of  chnftians  embittered  againft  each  other, 
and  mutually  persecuting  one  another,  as  they 
could  "engage  the  majeftrate  on*  their  fide:  All 
iides  in  their  turns  commenced  perfccutors  •,  no- 
£hing Teems  to  have  been  lefs  underdood  than  mu- 
tual forbearance,  and  the  liberty  of  private  judg- 
ment, in  matters  of  religion.  I  do  but  hint  at 
what  is  fully  known,  to  iuqh  2s  are  acquainted 
\vith  Gcclc/l&fyical  hiftory, 

IT  is  peed  lefs  to  point  out  the  fleps,  by  whlchs 
the  bifhops  of  Rome  made  their  way  to  the  papal 
power.  '-  The  Apoftle  tells  us,  2  Thcfl  II.  7.  that, 
in  his  time,  . ...  Very  of  this  iniquity  'dotb  already 
work.  '  It  then,  had  its  beginning,  in  the  pride 

:  love  of 'pre-eminence,  which  were,  then,  dif- 
cernable  in  Tome  chriftians.  The  afpiring  views 
of  the  'roman  bifhops,  i;  ;s  of  emperors,  and 

the  fplendor  of  their  jfse  -,  R<:::\  for  ages,  having 
been  the  capiro!  of  the  world,  all  confpired  to  ad- 
vance the  power  ot  the  ronian  pontiffs  ^  until,  at 
length,  the  bifnop  of  Fronts  was  declared  end  ac- 
knowledget1  bijkop  of  the  church,  the 

lucceffor  of  -:,  i  eter,  rind  the.  Vicar  of  Chrid,  on 
earth/  For  many  hundreds  of  years,  the  popes 
were,  generally, acknowledged. head  of  the  churchy 
kings  ^hd' potentates  fumbitted  to  tht-ir  juiiiclidti- 
on,  and  held  thf-ir  kingdoms,  as  gifrs  of  the  rc'.nc.r 
fee. —  They  decided -controvcrfies  ;  formed  articles 
of  faith,  ;  appointed  rites  and  ceremonies  in  the 
worfliip.  of  God  ;•  to  all  which  a  blind  and  abfolute 
obedience  was  required  •,  they  granted  indulgen- 
ces, pardoned  fins,  and  opened  and  fhut  Ifce  gates 
pf  heaven^  at  thrir  pleafure  j  exactly  fulfilling  that; 

prophetic 


an  Invaluable   "Blejjing.  13 

prophetic  character  of  antichrift,  2  ThefT.  II.  4.  fo 
that  he,  asGid,Jttte!b  in  the  temple  oj "God, /hewing  bim- 
felfi  that  be  isGod.  Thus  the  liberties  of  the  church 
were  given  up  to  the  popes  of  Rome  ;  all  the  rights 
of  conlcience  were  trodcn  under  foot. 

DURING  this  grand  papal  apodacy,  chriftians, 
not  content  w'kh  the  firnplicity  of  gtjfpel  worihip 
and  diicipline,  were  continually  adding  their  own 
inventions  to  the  worfhip  of  God.  Tranfuhftanti- 
ation,  the  worfhip  of  images,  relics,  faints  and  an* 
gels,  and  all  the  fuperftitions  of  popery  made  their 
way  into  the  church  :  Rome  chriilian  refembled 
Rome  pagan  \  and  the  chnftian  refembled  the  pa- 
gan temples  ;  an  awful  example  to  what  lengths 
men  will  go,  when  they  leave  the  pattern,  which 
Chritl  and  his  Apoftles  have  left  us,  and  pretend 
to  decorate  the  worfhip  of  God,  with  their  own  in- 
ventions ! — Thus  the  worfhip  of  God  was  rilled 
with  idolatry,  the  temples  of  God  became  the  tem- 
ples of  idols  :  the  fcriptures  were  little  under- 
flood  ;  the  fenflefs  decrees  of  popes  and  councils 
were  received,  with  blind  fubmillion,  as  the  rules 
of  faith  and  worfliip. 

THESE  were  dark  ages  ;  a  cloud  of  ignorance 
overlpread  the  church  :  fuperftition  and  idolatry 
well  nigh  extinguimed  the  pufe  and  noble  religion 
of  Jefus.  The  teachers  of  the  people  were  igno- 
rant and  immoral  :  real  learning  was  in  a  great 
meafure  banifhed  out'of  the  church  of  God,  and 
the  people  proportionably  funk  into  ignorance 
and  fuperilition, 

NOT  that  God  left  bimfelf  without  witnefs,  in 
theie  times  of  ignorance.  All  along,  there  were 
foi-ne,  who  faw  the  corruption  of  the  church,  and 

abhorred 


14  Religious  Liberty 

abhorred  the  fuperftitions  and  idolatrys  of  the 
times.  So  long  ago  as  the  twelfth  century  the 
Waldenfes  and  Albigenjes^  *  in  France  and  savoy  , 
openly  declared  againft  the  abufes  of  the  church 
or  Rome  ;  they  boldly  preached,  that  the  pope  is 
not  head  of  the  church,  denyed  the  real  corporal 
prefence  of  Chrilt,  in  the  Eucharift,  the  worlVlp- 
ing  of  faints  and  images,  and  feperated  thtmfelves 
from  the  rowifh  communion.  Thefe  glorious  wit- 
neffes  of  God's  truth  became  martyrs,  in  the  caufe 
of  reforma  ion.  The  papal  bulls  railed  the  zeal  of 
Chriftendom,  to  extirpate  this  unhappy  people  : 
all  manner  of  barbarities  and  cruelties  were  pract- 
iied  upon  them,  and  multitudes  perilled  in  the 
glorious  caufe.  However,  their  doctrines  could 
not  be  fuppreffed  •,  the  dreadful  perfecution,  they 
fuffered,  fpread  their  opinions,  through  molt  parts 
of  Europe  :  Thoufands  had  their  eyes  opened,  10 
fee  the  errors  of  popery  ;  and  then  were  fown  the 
feeds,  which,  afterward,  fprung  up,  and,  at  length, 
produced  the  glorious  reformation. 

GOD,  whofe  ways  are  unfearcbable,  and  bis  jut.?- 
menfs  p  aft  finding  out,  is  greatly  to  be  adored,  ior 
raiting  up  fuch  a  number  of  great  and  learned 
men,  in  the  fifteenth  and  Jixieenth  centurys.  The 
fall  of  the  eaftern  empire,  and  the  e*  tendon  of  ihe 
turki/h  dominion  into  Europe,  was  the  revival  of 
learning  in  the  weft.  Tis  too  great  a  work  to  tell 
you,  by  what  means  and  inftruments,  the  refer  ma- 
tisn  opened  and  advanced.  'It  mud  i  office  ro  fay, 
learning  revived  j  by  the  indefatigable  labours  of 
divers  learned  and  worthy  Divines,  the  people 
were  enlightened  to  difcern  the  errors  of  popery  ; 
they  were  taught  that  the  pc-pe  was  antickrift  ;  en- 


See  Perrin's  Hift.  of  ihc  Waldcafes. 


an  invaluable  Rlejfing.  15 

quiry  and  private  judgment  were  promoted,  fove- 
reign  princes  were  perfwaded  to  abandon  the  ro- 
milh  church,  and  patronize  the  caufe  of  reformaT 
lion — a  glorious  reformation  was  accomplifhedj  and 
a  deadly  wound  was  given  to  papal  power. 

IN  the  fourteenth  century,  about  130  years  be- 
fore the  reformation  of  Lutber,  flourifhed  that  flout 
and  valiant  champion  of  the  truth,  John  Wi.ckUjfe\ 
by  whom,  the  feeds  of  the  reformation  feem  to  have 
been  fown  in  England,  While  profeffor  of  divi- 
nity at  Oxford,  he  boldly  publifhed  againft  tran- 
fubftantiation,  the  infallibility  of  the  pope,  the 
pre-eminence  of  the  church  of  Rome ;  teaching 
that  the  new  teftament  is  a  perfect  rule  of  faith 
and  manners,  and  ought  to  be  read,  by  the  peo- 
ple :  and  further  maintained  mofl  of  the  points,  by 
which  the  Puritans  were  afterward  diftinguifhed  ; 
asj  that  there  are  but  two  orders  in  the  miniftryj 
viz.  Pre/bytersvv  Bifhops  and  Deacons  5  that  all  hu- 
man traditions  are  ufelefs  $  that  myftical  and  fig- 
nificant  ceremonies,  in  the  worfliip  of  God,  are 
unlawful  ;  and  that,  to  refirain  men  to  a  prefcribed 
form  of  prayer,  is  contrary  to  the  liberty  granted 
them  by  God*.  This  WicUifft  was  a  wonderful 
man,  for  the  times  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  the1 
firft,  that  tranflated  the  new  teftament  intoEngtiJb  ; 
he  wrote  near  200  volumes ;  and  fuch  was  the  kind 
providence  of  God,  that,  though  his  doclrines  were 
condemned  at  Rome^  and  afterwards  condemned, 
in  a  convocation  at  London,  himfelf  deprived  of  his 
profejfor/bip,  his  writings  ordered  to  be  burnt,  and 

himfelf 

*  Vid.  AWs  Hift.  of  the  Puritans.  And  if  tKe  reader 
would  fee  the  principles  of  Wicklffij  he  will  find  them, 
in  the  learned  Mr,  Piercis  vindication  of  the  diffcn- 
tetsj  p.  4.5,  46, 


I  Ci  Religious  Liberty 

himfelf  imprifbntd,  yet,  he  followed  his  minif 
and  in  an  advanced  age,  quietly  departed  this  life, 
1384.  His  bones,  with  his  work?,  were,  however, 
ordered  to  be'burnt,  by  the  council  of  Cotiftance^ 
forty  one  years  after  his  deaih  :  But  his  doctrines  re- 
mained, the  number  of  his  diiciples  increafed,  which 
gave  occafion  to  fevere'  laws  againft  heretics,  his 
followers  were  vexed  with  a  moft  greivous  and 
cruel  perfecution,  and  fome  hundreds  of  them  were 
put  to  death,  before  the  grand  reformation. 

KING  Henry  VIII,  from  the  oppofition  he  met 
with,  in  accompluliing  the  divorce  of  Queen  Ka-. 
therine^  began  and  carried  into  execution  a  nati- 
onal fepe ration  from  the  church  of  Rome. — He  re- 
nounced the  jurifdi&ion  of  the  pope  •,  afTumed  the 
ecclefiaftical  Supremacy  to  himfelf,  declared  him- 
felf^ an:!  •  head  of  the  church  of  England, 
next  and  immediately  under  Chrift  ;  and,  confe- 
quently,  he  ailbmed  to  himfelf  all  jurifdiction  over 
the  Clergy,  with  the  whole  'power  of  reforming 
errors  and  herefies,  in  doclri-ne  and  worfhip  ;  he 
fupprefied  the  monaflcries  and  religious  houfes, 
took  away  all  authority  of  the  pope,  over  the 
church  of  EnglGxd,  and  eftablifhed  that  feperatiori 
from  Romet  which  continues  to  this  day. 

,  HENRY,  in  his  younger  life,  was  an  obedient 
fon  of  the  papacy,  and,  for  writing  againft  Luther^ 
received,  from  his  holinefs^  the  title  of  defender  of 
ike  faith  :  And  dill  he  was  a  papiil,  in  the  main, 
and  perfecuted  papifts  and  proteftants,  who  did  not 
fully  comply  -with  his  own  injunctions.  Under 
him  fuffered  holy  Lambert^  who  was  executed  in 
Smitbfield)  in  a  barbarous  manner ;  crying  out,  in 
the  flames,  none  but  Cbrifl^  none  but  Chrift.  Never- 
thelefs  there  were,  in  this  reign,  divers  pious  and 

learned 


an  invaluable  B faffing,  iy 

i  /  i 

learned  men,  who  longed  for  a  real  reformation  § 
among  whom  was  archbifhop  Cranmer,  who  took 
this  opportunity  to  attempt  a  reformation  in  doct- 
rine and  worfhip.  Books  were  printed^  the  bible 
again  tranflated,  and  fet  up  to  be  read  in  churches. 
But,  by  means  of  the  rigid  temper  of  the  King^ 
who  would  have  nothing  taught  or  maintained  con- 
trary to  his  own  infirudlions,  the  reformation  made 
but  little  progrefs  in  this  reign.  The  moft  that 
the  church  legally,  obtained  was,  that  the  King  was 
acknowledged  head  of  the  church,  inftead  of  the 
pope,  and  the  fole  right  of  reformation  was  veiled 
in  the  crown  \  royal  proclamations  had  the  force 
of  laws*  and  the  firbjedt  was  obliged,  Under  fevere 
penalties,  to  believe,  profefs  and  obey  according 
thereunto— as  if  the  King  had  a  right  to  judge 
for  the  whole  nation,  and  impofe  upon  themwhafe 
religion  he  pleafes>  without  their  confent ! 

DURING, the  reign  of  Edward  VI,  who  was  a 
remarkably  pious  and  learned  prince,  but  dyed  irt 
the  1 6th  year  of  his  age,  the  reformation  went  ori 
gloriouQy,  under  the  direction  of  Cranmer*  and  o- 
ther  great  and  excellent  reformers.  The  popifh 
Jaws  againft  heretics  were  repealed,  by  acl:  of  Par- 
liament, and  new  ones  enabled  in  favour  of  the 
reformation.  Images  were  taken  out  of  the  chu- 
ches,  and  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  popery  abo- 
li(hed — the  facrament  was  ordered  in  both  kinds— » 
private  maiTes  were  put  down— out  of  the  romari 
Mtffals  of  Sarum,  Tork,  Hereford,  Bangor  and  Lin* 
coin,  was  compofed  the  morning  and  evening  fer- 
vice,  almoft  in  the  fame  form  it  (lands  at  prefent,' 
only  there  w"as  no  confeffion  or  abfolution  5  *  from 

C  the 

*  Vid.  Neal's  Hift.  of  the  Pudtatis,  Vol.  i,  4.to,  p,  36. 

W  ho  adds « it  would  have  obviated  many  obje^ions,  i£ 


1 8  Religious  Liberty 

the  fame  materials  they  compofed  theL/ta»y,  differ- 
ing,  in   but  one  article,  from  that,  which   is   now 
ufed — the  mafs-books  were  called   in — the  altars 
changed  into   communion   tables — the  doctrinal 
articles  of  the  church  of  England  were  formed, 
being  42  in  number^  but  fince  reduced   to  39. — 
The  common  prayer-book  was,  a  fecond  time,  cor- 
rected, and  eftabhfhed  by  act  of  Parliament.    This 
was  a  great  and  glorious  work  !  Although,  it  muft 
be  confeiTed,  they  were  miflaken  in  ufmg  feveri- 
ties  •,  and  even  Cranmer  expofed  himfelf  to  cenfure, 
by  promoting  or  confenting  to  fome  executions. 
But  yet,  they  were  great  and  good  men  ;  valiant 
in  the  caufe  of  truth,  and  made  as  quick  advances, 
in  restoring  religion  to  its  primitive  fimplicity,  as 
the  circumllances  of  the  times  would  admit.— 
Thefe  reformers,  'tis  evident,   would   have   gone 
farther,  and  did  not  defign  this  as  the  lad  ftandard 
of  reformation';  they  left  it  under  their  hands, 
c*  that  they  had  gone  as  far  as  they  could,  in  re- 
"  forming  the  church,  confidering  the  times  they 
"  lived  in,  and  hoped  that   they  that  came  after 
"  them  would,  as  they  might,  do  more."  *     And 
the  King  himfelf  lamented,  that  u  he  could  not 
reftore  the  primitive  difcipline,  according  to  his 
heart's  defire."  f 

KING  Edward  was  fucceeded  by  Queen  Mary* 
a  biggoted  papiit  ;  the  work  of  reformation  ftop- 
ed,  in  an  inftant,  a  dark  cloud  hung  over  the  glo- 
rious 

"  the  committee  had  thrown-.afide  the  mafs  book  entire- 
<c  ly,  and  compofed  an  uniform  fervice,  in  the  language 
<c  of  fcripture,  —  but  this  they  were  not  aware  of,  or 
*'  the  times  would  not  bear  it. 

*  Vid.  Punt's  vindication*  p.  n.     f  Vid,  p.  12, 


an  invaluable  Blejflng.  1J 

rious  reformers,  who  had  done  fq  much  in  the  prc- 
ceeding  reign.     The  foreign  proteflants,  who  had 
taken  (belter  in  England^  from  the  ftorms  of  per- 
fecution  abroad,  were  driven  out  of  the  kingdom. 
Popery  was  again  eftablifhed,  by  act  of  Parliament:. 
The  popifh  ceremonies  were  eftablimed  ;  the  king- 
dom was  reconciled  to  the  fee  of  Rome  •,  feveral 
thoufand  proteftant  minifters  were  turned  out  of 
their  livings.     The  penal  laws    againft    heretics 
were  revived  ;  multitudes   fled  from  perfecution 
into  foreign  countrys.    The  bifhops,  Cranmer^  Rid~ 
ley,  &c.  with  Rogers,  Bradford,  and  many  others, 
who  had  been  fuch  glorious  reformers,were  cruelly- 
burnt  for  herefy,  and  fealed  their  teftimony  to  the 
reformation,  with  their  blood.     Two  hundred  and 
feventy  feven  perfons  *  fuffered  death  for  religion  ; 
innumerable  others  were  impriibned,  and  prepar- 
ing for  execution,  when  God  mercifully  appeared 
for  fbem^nd  the  nation,  delivering  them  from  death, 
and  the  nation  from  popery   and  flavery,  by  the 
death   of  their  mercileis    perfecutor. — ftf*  Lord 
knowetb  bow  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of  temptation, 
and  to  re/erve  the  unjuft  t$  the  day  of  judgment  to  be 
punifosd* 

THE  accefTion  of  Queen  Elizabeth  to  the  throne, 
gave  new  life  to  the  reformation.  Thofe,  that  had. 
fled  into  other  countrys,  returned  ;  and  thofe,  that 
had  laid  concealed,  quickly  appealed.  She  was, 
indeed,  a  favourer  of  the  reformation,  but  thought 
it  had  been  carried  too  far  ;  Hie  was  fond  of  many 
of  the  old  rites  and  ceremonies,  in  which  (he  had. 
been  educated  :  She  was  naturally  pro.ud,  affected 
much  ftate,  and^  through  all  her  life,  fet  upon  a 
C  2  uniformity 

*,  Of  whom  5  were   bifhops,  21  minifters,  8  gentlemen, 
84  tradefmen,   100  huibandmen,  55  women,   aad  4* 

children* 


§0  Helfgwuf  Liberty 


uniformity  in  the  worfhip  of  God.  The  fuprcam 
ccclefiaftical  power  was  vefted  in  the  Queen,  by 
aft  of  Parliament,  which  flie  did  not  fail  to  exer-r 
cife,  to  vex  and  diftrefs  thofe,  who  could  not,  in. 
confcience,  conform  to  all  the  modes  and  habits  of 
the  eftablifhed  church.  In  the  beginning  of  her 
reign,  fhe  eftabliihed  the  court  of  high  commiffion, 
which  fported  itfdf,  in  tyranny  and  oppreilion,  un- 
til it  became  odious  to  the  nation  ;  at  this  time 
alfo  patted  that  aft  for  the  uniformity  of  common 
prayer,  and  ferric e,  in  the  church,  and  adminiflration  of 
the  jacraments,  which  was  the  fatal  rock,  on  which, 
^he  peace  of  the  church  was  darned  in  pieces. 

THERE  were  forne,,  even  .before,  as  well  as  at 
that  day,  who  confcientioufly  fcrupled  the  romifh 
habits,  and  multitudes,  efpecially  of  thofe  who  had 
been  exiles  in  Queen  Mary's  perfecmion,  who  dif- 
like$  the  common  prayer,  and  could  not  conform  to 
the  terms  i'mpofed  on  t;hem,  bj  roya,l  or  epifcopal 
Authority. 

THE  Queen  had  no  tendernefs  for  fcrupulons 
confcicnces,  but  proceeded,  with  vigour,  to  enforce 
a  uniformity  in  the  worfhip  of  God.  Subfcripnona 
were  required,  promifing  conformity  to  the  habits, 
and  likew-ife  to  she  rites  of  the  common  prayer,  &c. 
under  pain  of  being  deprived,  in  three  months  : 
The  confequence  was,  many  were  deprived,  and, 
with  their  wives  and  children,  laboured  under  great 
po/erty  •,  fome  were  put  in  prifon,  and  the  poor 
men,  who  were  juft  returned  from  exile,  found 
themfelves  involved  in  a  fecond  perfecution.  A 
proud  prelate  (A  B.  Parker)  who  was  the  inftru- 
pient  of  their  furTerings,  faid,  "  he  did  not  doubtv 
<!*•  when  the  minifters  had  felt  the  imart  of  poverty 
^c  an^  want,  they  would  comply,  for  the  wood  is  yet 
55  fat  ^r^».J>r-6ut  he  found  himfdf  miftakea. 


an  invaluable  Blejfing.  21 

DURING  almoft  the  whole  reign  of  Queen  Eliza- 
fatb,  who  died  in  1602,  the  profecution  of  the  non- 
conformifts  was  carried  on,  with  vigour.  Subfcrip* 
tions  were  required,  not  only  to  the  doftrines  and 
worfhip  eftablifhed  by  law,  but  to  rules  impofed,  by 
meer  ecclefiaftical  authority  :  Oaths  were  adminiftred 
ex  officio  ;  the  edge  of  the  laws  made  againft  the 
papifts,  was  turned  againft  the  eonfcientious  Puri- 
tans.  Multitudes  of  pious,  godly  minifters  were  in- 
formed againft,  purfued,  arraigned,  fufpended  from 
their  minifterial  funftions,  turned  out  of  their  liv- 
ings :  and  all,  not  for  damnable  errors  in  doctrine  ; 
not  for  immorality  of  life,  but  for  a  eonfcientious 
fcrupling  to  conform  to  impofitions,  of  human  au- 
thority. u  A  fourth  part  of  all  the  preachers,  in 
"  England,  were  under  fufpenlion,  at  a  time,  when, 
"  not  one  beneficed  clergyman  in  fix  was  capable  of 
<c  compofing  a  fermon.'  *  It  would  tire  your  pa- 
tience, and  too  deeply  affect  your  hearts  to  relate 
the  many  inftances  of  cruel  fufferings,  in  thofe  days, 
under  the  lafh  of  epijcopal  power. 

NOT  that  there  were  wanting  thoufands,  who  e- 
fteemed  and  pitied  them. — We  are  particularly  told, 
that,  when  the  minifters  were  filenced,  their  people 
earneftly  beged  for  their  reftoration  -,  many  of  the 
nobility  and  gmtry  received  them  into  their  families, 
as  chaplains,  and  tutors  to  their  children,  not  meerly 
out  of  compafliop,  but  from  a  fenfe  of  their  real 
worth.  **  For  they'were  men  of  undiffembled  piety. 
"  aad  devotion,  mighty  in  the  fcriptures,  zealous  for 
"  the  proteftant  religion,  of  exemplary  lives,  and  far 
«c  removed  from  the  liberties  and  fafhonable  vices  of 
**  the  times,  and  indefatigably  induftrious  in  inftrufl- 
*'  ing  thofe  committed  to  their  care.  Here  they 
J*  were  covered  from  their  oppreffors,  they  preached 

^in 

5  Vid.  Neal's  preface  to  his  fiiftory,  pag.  8, 


22  Religious  Liberty 

*6  in  the  family,  and  catechized  the  children,  which, 
*6  without  all  queftion,  had  a  confiderable  influence 
"  on  the  next  generation."  Divers  of  the  nobles 
and  gentry,  petitioned  on  behalf  of  the  unhappy 
fuffe.rers  :  But  crys  and  intreaties  were  to  no  pur- 
pofe,  thefe  perfecting  meafures  were  purfued,  by 
two  hard-hearted  prelates,  *  under  the  encourage- 
ment of  a  proud  and  unreafonabk  fovereign,  thro9 
the  greateft  part  of  this  reign. 


•  afcended  the  throne,it  was  ex- 
pected that  he  would  put  an  end  to  thefe  perfecuting 
meafures.  His  education  in  the  church  of  Scotland, 
the  high  regard  he  had  expreflfed  for  her  worfhip  and 
difcipline,  his  fubfcribing  the  folemn  league  and  cove- 
nant, and  the  interceflion  which  he  made  in  the  for- 
mer reign  for  the  relief  of  the  fufferers,  raifed  the 
hopes  of  the  n^nconformifts,  that  they  fhould  fee 
better  times.  But  they  foon  found  themfelves  mif- 
taken.  It  was  not  long  before  he  publiftied  a  pro- 
clamation to  enforce  uniformity  ;  countenanced  and 
encouraged  the  perfecution  of  the  puritans  -,  and  in 
thefecend  year,  after  his  coming  into  England,  three 
hundred  minifters  were,  either  filer  ced,  or  deprived 
of  their  benefices  ;  excommunicated,  cad  into  prifon, 
or  forced  to  leave  their  country  and  go  into  banifh- 
ment.  "  A  more  grievous  perfecution  of  the  ortho- 
.  dox  faith"  (fays  Mr,  Calderwood)  "  is  not  to  be  met 
with  in  hiftory,  in  any  prince's  reign." 

THE  violent  proceedings  of  the  bifhops,  in  the 
latter  end  of  the  lad  reign,  drove  great  numbers  of 
nonconformifts  into  Haliand,-  where,  by  leave  of  the 
States  they  erected  churches,  after  their  own  mode  ; 
ibme  of  thefe  were  the  people,  who  tranfplanted  them- 
felves into  tbi*  country  —  In  1604  the  high  abufe  of 

church 
*  A.  B.  Parker  and  Wbitgift. 


an  Invaluable  Blejfing*  23 

church  power  obliged  many  other  learned  mmttiers* 
and  their  followers,  to  leave  the  kingdom,  and  fettle 
mMollandt  where  englifli  churches  were  erected,  after 
the  prtfbyterian  mode.  But  the  greateft  number  of 
thofe  who  left  their  country  were  the  people  called 
Browmfts,who  were  rigid  feperatifts  from  the  church. 
Mr.  Robinfon,  a  paftor  of  one  of  thefe  churches  at 
Ley  den,  firft  (truck  out  the  congregational  form  of 
church  government,  and  part  of  his  church  in  1620, 
tranfported  themfelves  and  their  form  of  govern- 
ment to  this  land. 

IT  was  a  mod  arTecYiortate  parting  thefe  adventur- 
ers, about  120  in  number,  took  of  their  minifter  and 
the  remainder  of  their  friends,  in  Holland^  when  they 
embarked  for  this  new  world.  With  tender  affecti- 
on^, their  worthy  paftor  on  his  knees,  with  fervent 
prayer,committed  them  to  the  blefTing  and  protection 
of  heaven.  They  arrived  at  Plymouth  in  the  begin-" 
ning  of  winter — fad  was  their  condition,  when  they 
arrived  in  this  \howling  wildernefs,  Winter  imme- 
diately cams  upon  them  ;  they  had  no  accommoda- 
tion for  their  entertainment,  and  inekpreffible  were 
the  hard  mips  they  underwent.  A  fad  mortality 
raged  among  them,  occafioned  by  the  fatigues  of  a 
long  voyage,  the  feverity  of  winter,  and  the  want  of 
neceffaries.  The  country  was  covered  with  woods, 
their  little  cottages  were  not  fufficient  to, keep  them 
warm  ;  they  had  neither  fkilful  phyfician,  nor  in- 
deed wholefome  food  ;  fo  that,  within  two  or  three 
months,  half  their  company  found  their  graves.— 
However,  the  furvivors,  as  the  fpring  came  on,  be- 
ing encouraged  by  the  recovery  of  their  health,  and 
by  fupplys  fent  from  their  friends  at  home,  profectf- 
ted  their  arduous  undertaking,  "  and  laid  the  foun1- 
'6  dation  of  one  of  the  nobleft  fettlements  in  America, 

^  which* 


24  Religious  Liberty 

"  which,  from  that  time,  has  proved  an  Afylum  for 
"  the  proteftant  nonconjormiji^  under  all  their  op- 
"  prefiions."  * 

IT  is  ne'edlefs  to  hint  to  you  the  character  of  King 
Cbarles  I,  whofe  arbitrary  meafures  bro't  his  head  to 
the  block  His  prime  minifter  wMf&ilfiam  Land,  firft 
bifhop  of  London,  and  afterwards  A.  B<  of  Canterbury. 
He  was  the  advifer  of  mo  ft  arbitrary  meafures,  and 
a  furious  and  cruel  perfecutor  of  the  Puritans.  Soon 
after  his  advancement,  he  proceeded  againft  the  non- 
cwformijh  with  great  feverity.  One  or  other  of  the 
puritan  minifters  was,  every  week,  fufpended  or 
deprived*  and  their  families  driven  co  diftrefs  :  there 
•was  no  liberty  of  confcience,  nor  any  profpect  of 
relief  •,  the  clouds  gathered  thicker  over  their  heads* 
and  threatned  a  dreadful  ftorm.  This  put  our  fa- 
tbers  ,on  projecting  a  fettlement  in  this  Province, 
where  they  might  be  delivered  from  the  hand  of  op- 
prefTion,  and  enjoy  the  liberty  of-  their  conferences. 
They  arrived  firft  at  tal'-m  in  1629,  and  afterwards* 
(viz.  iri  1630.)  iri  much  greater  numbers  in  this 
neighbourhood,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  thefe 
flourishing  churches  •,  in  which  libtrty  of  confcience 
hath,  blefied  be  God,  been  enjoyed  thefe  137  years. 

WNEN  our  fathers  left  their  native  country,  they 
did  not  mean  to  excommunicate  the  eftabli/bedchurch. 
They  called  its  members  their  reverend  fathers  and 
brethren,  and  fervently  afked  their  prayers  for  them- 
feives  •,  promifing  to  remember  them  "  when"  (fay 
they)  "  we  fhall  be  in  our  poor  cottages  in  the  wil- 
45  dernefs,  overfhadowed  with  the  fpirit  of  fupplica- 


*  A  particular  account  of  the  firft  adventurers  to  Ply- 
mouth)  with  the  characters  of  feveral  of  their  leading 
men,  the  reader  will  find  in  Lieut.  Gov.  Hutchinfons 
appendix  to  his  hiftory  pf  the 


an  invaluable  BleJJing. 


"    '    - 

j"  tion,  through  the  manifold  necefTuies,  and  tribulations 
"  which  may  not  altogether  unexpeciedly,nor  we  hope 
"  unprofitably,  befall  usl"  But  they  found  their 
conferences  oppreflfcd,  and  the  worfhip  of  God  .bur- 
dened with  unfcriptural  ceremonies.  For  want  ^pf 
conformity  to  human  >mpofitions,  they  founJ  theni- 
felves  fo  hunted  and  perplexed  that  they  had  no  reft. 
Therefore  they  quietly  withdrew  themfelves  into  this 
land,  where  was  granted  i\\tm  fret  liber  ty^of  conscience 
to  worjhip  God  in  thdr  own  way  ;  where  th<ey  could 
fet  up  the  worship  of  God,  on  what,  they  believed^ 
the  fcripture  plan,  and  enjoyed  his  brdiriancesi  free 
frorrt  ufelefs  ceremonies  and  the  impofitionS  of  men. 

OUR  fathers  were  truly  4  diftrefied  people,  arid 
fled  hither  from  the  hand  of  perfecution.—  It  is  nti 
fmall  thing  to  forfake  our  native  country,  our,  -dear 
friends,  our  pleafant  houfesand  delightful  accommoda^ 
tions  —  to  adventure  over  a  wide  oceari,---  to  fettle  iri 
a  wild,  howling,  uncultivated  vvilrferntfs,-^-  a  couritryr 
deftitute  of  every  defirab-le  accommodation,  arid  filled 
with  numerous  nations  of  barbarous  favages.  And 
yet,  all  thefe  our  fathers  did.  Though  they  were  per- 
fons  of  good  rank  and  circiimftances  irt  life,  yet  they; 
bid  a  final  adieu  to  all  tlie  delights  of  their  native 
country  j  expofed  themfelves,  with  their  wives\  ,and 
children  to  the  dangers  of  a  long  voyage  ;  and  to  all 
the  diftrefles  which  they  could  not  expert  to  avoid 
when  caft  on  a  defolatc  more,  deftitute  of  any  kind  of 
covering  from  the  rage  of  the  elements,  and  of  rrioft 
fores  of  the  food  on  which  they,  fed*'  Jn  tHe  garden  of 
the  world  ;  and  all  that  they  might  ferye  God  in  hi^ 
ordinances,  agreable  to  conscience*  free  from  unfcrip- 
tural impofitionsi 

OaR  fathers  were  not  the  icurri  of  the  nation,  a 
fet  of  indigent  wretches,  that  could  not  fubfift  in  their: 
own  country,  but  many  of  them  perfons  of  figure  and 


26  Religion  Liberty 

Fortune.  They  left  a  fair  inheritance,  or  fpent  plenti- 
ful eftates  to  plant  themfelves  in  a  defolate  country, 
Neither  were  they  an  ignorant  rabblje,  but  many  of 
them  gentlemen,  of  liberal  education  ;  men  of  good 
abilities,  well  acquainted  with  the  fcriptures,  and  the 
difcipline  of  God's  houfe.  Among  them  were  divers 
excellent  minifters,  educated  in  the  univerfines^  and 
greatly  efteerned  for  their  labours  in  the  bed  parts  of 
England.  *  Their  undertaking  was  bold  and  hazard- 
ous, and  they  pafled  through  innumerable  fatigues  ir* 
this  glorious  work.  But  the  good  hand  of  their  God 
was  upon  them  ;  he  wonderfully  fucceeded  their  un- 
dertaking ;  and  we  blefs  God,  at  this  day,  who  made 
tyfanny.  and  oppreftion  the  caufe  of  liberty  and  reli- 
gion ;  the  Lord  thy  God  turned  the  curfe  into  a  blejfmg 
unto  thee,  bvcaufe  the  Lord  thy  God  loved  thce. 

THE  Laudean  perfecution  of  the  nonconf  or  mi/Is  pro- 
ceeded in  England,  after  the  firft  fettlements  here. 
They  were  harrifed  in  the//#r  chamber^  the  high  com- 
miffion  courts^  and  at  the  council  table.  This  engaged 
many  to  follow  their  brethren  hither,  and  feveral  of 

the 

*  See  the  characters  and  circumfiances  of  the  principal  ad- 
venturers, in  the  Liedt.  Governour's  Hift.  of  MaJ/achu- 
fetts-Bay,  vol.  i.  p.  14.  margin.  As  allb  the  lives  of 
the  minift-r?,  who  came  oVer  in  the  early  days  of  the 
country,  in  Or.  Mather's  Magnalia.  Of  the  latter  Mr. 
Neal  fays,  they  were  "  the  chief  leaders  of  the  people 
**  into  thefe  parts" — UI  have  before  me  a  lift  of  77  divine?, 
**  who  became  paftors  of  fundry  little  churches  and  con- 
*e  gregations  in  that  country,  before  the  year  1640,  all  or 
*'  whom  were  in  orders  in  the  church  of  England —  and 
*fi  I  muft  fay,  though  they  were  not  all  of  the  firft  rank,v 
*'  for  deep  and  extenfive  learning,  yet  they  had  a  better 
"  (hare  of  it  than  moft  of  the  neighbouring  clergy  ;  and, 
«*  which  is  of  moreconfcquence,  they  were  men  of  ftricl: 
*'  fobriety  and  vi-tue  ;  plain,  ferious,  affectionate  preach- 
es ers— and  took  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  promote  chrif^- 
"  tian  knowledge,  and  a  .reformation  of  manners,  in 
**  their  feveral  parifhes."  Hift,  of  Puritan*  vol.  1^546; 


tpi  ijroahaUe  Blejfi&g. 

the  great  champions  of  the  bridfh  liberties,  fuch  as 
Pym^  llampden^  Sir  Arthur  Haflerigg,  Oliver  Cromwe/^ 
Dr.  Ow*»,  were  on  the  point  of  tranfplanting  therri- 
felves  into  this  wildernefs,  but  were  detained,  in  pro- 
vidence, for  a  greater  work  •,*  and,  in  the  fucceeding 
twelve  years  of  Laud's  administration,  4000  plan- 
ters came  over  to  people  thefe  American  defarts.— 
Thefe  violent  proceedings  did  but  open  the  eyes  of 
the  people,  increafe  the  number  of  the  puritans^  create 
an  averfion  to  prelatical  government,  aroufe  the  pa- 
trons of 'liberty  :  And  at  length  iiTued  in  the  violent 
death  of  Laud>  and  his'  royal  matter  the  King,  the 
abolifhing  of  epifcopacy,  and  the  eftablifhment  of  a- 
nother  form  of  church  government,  under  the  proT 

tection  of  Oliver  Cromwel. 
\ 

UPON  the  reftoration  of  Charles  H,  epifcopacy  was 
reftored  alfo. — The  terms  of  conformity  were  carried 
Ijigher  than  before  the  civil  war,  "^—conformity   was 
required  under  the  penalty  of  being  deprived  of  their 
livings.     On.  tfie  black  Bartholomew-day  1662,  abouc 
iooo  were  obliged  in  confcience  to   relinquish   their, 
livings  and   miniftry  in  the  church  •,  "  an  example 
"  hardlv  to  be  paralleled  in  the  chriltian  world.     It; 
V  railed  a  grievous  cry  over  the  nation  ;  for  here  w?re 
"  many  men  much  valued  (fays  bifhop  Burnett)  and 
V  diltingjiflied  by  their  abilities  and  zeal,  now  caft  out 
"  ignominioufly,  reduced  to  great  poverty,  and  pro- 
"  voked  by  moft  fpiteful  language."     Mr.  L^icalls 
i  hem  "  worthy,    learned,  pious,  orthodox  divines.  § 
A  nobler  fee  of  minifters  there  never  were  in  any  na- 
rjpn.     Sad  were  the  calamities  of  far  the  greater  pare 
of  thefe  unhappy  fufferers,  who,  with  their  families, 
might  have  periftied,  had  it  not  been  for  the  chanties 
of  the  people.,  to  irjultitudes  of  whom,  they  were   ex- 
D  2  ceeding 

*  Vid.   Afoz/'s  Hift.    of  the  Puritans  vol.    i.  p.  622,  and 

vol.  2.   p.    739.  f  Vid.   Neal)  vol.  j.   p.  54.6. 

t  Neat,  vol.  2.  p.  628.        §  Nealy  vaL  z.  p, 


ULeligious  ILlberty 

_  dear.  "  Many  hundreds  of  them"  (fays  Mr. 
jftaxtir)  *'  with  their  wives  and  children,  had  neither 
*\  houfe  nor  bread  -9  the  people  they  left  were  not  able 
<c  to  relieve  them,  'nor  durlt  they  if  they  had  been 
*;  able, '  becaufe  it  would  have  been  called  a  main- 
*c%-  penance  of  fchifm  or  f  action. **  Miuifters,  of  gravity 
and  years  were  rallied  in  the  pulpits,  expofed  in  the 
play  bo  up.  and  infulted  by  ignorant  mob. —  And,  as  if 
all  thefe  fufferings  were  not  enough,  a  fevere  aft  was 
rnsde,  by  which  all  nonconformijl  minifters,  who  would 
not  by  a, certain  day  fwear,  "not  at  any  time  toendea- 
c*  vour  any  alteration  of  government,  either  in  church 
*'  or  ftate,  mould  not,  unlefs  in  pafTmg  the  road,  come 
"  or  be  within  five  miles  of  any  city,  town  corporate, 
*c  or  borough,  that  fends  burgefles  to  Parliament  -,  or 
cc  v  ithin  five,  miles  of  any  parifh,  town,  or  place, 
«  wherein  they  ha\Te,  fmce  the  act  of  oblivion,  been* 
<(\  parfon,  vicar  or  lecturer,  &c.  or  where  they  have 
cc  preached  in  any  conventicle,  on  any  pretence  what- 
c*  ever/5,  under  fever  -  penalties.  Thus  were  they 
cut  off  from  the  ailiftance  of  their  friends,  and  expofed 
to  the  lam  of  a  barbarous  law,  which  was,  in  abun- 
dance of  inftancesj  hihmianl}  executed. 

YOUR  patience  will  not  hold  out,  while  I  trace  the 
perfecution  of  the  nomonformifa  through  the  remain- 
ing part  of  Charles'*  reign.  In  confequence  of  cruel 
acts,  great  numbers  of  pious  minifters 'and  people  were 
laid  in  prifons,  among  thieves  and  common  malefact- 
ors, where  they  fufrVrcd  the  greateft  hard&ips  and 
indignities  \  <s  an  t ft i mate  was  publifhed  of  near  eight 
6C  thoi)fand'proteftan£  /  ffinfe  who  had  perifhed  in 
ct  prifi>n,  ir.  the  reign  only  of  Ch fines  II.  By  fevere 
**  penalties  inflicted  on  them,  for  affembling  to  wor- 
<e  fhip  God, they  fufFered  in  their  trade  and  eftates,  in 
"  the  eompafs  of  a  few  years,  at  leaft,  tivo  millions  ;" ' 
"  and  a  lift  of  Sixty  thoqfand  perfons,  was  taken,  who 
*•'  had  fuffered^  on  ^  religious  aqcount,  between 


an  invaluable  Blejjlng.  29 

f*  refloration  and  ^'revolution  •"*  i.  e.  in  28  years. 
It  was  by  the  glorious  revolution  in  1688,  an  aera  ever 
to  be  mentioned  with  joy,  when  William  and  Mary, 
of  glorious  memory,  afcended  the  throne,  that  a  period 
was  put  to  the  exorbitant  exercife  of  eptjcopal  power. 
KING  William  earneftly  de fired  the  union  of  all  his 
prote'ftant  fubjedh  ;  he  was  for  taking  of  the  left,  and 
abrogating  the  -penal  laws, 'as  far  as  related 'to  pro- 
teftant  dillenters  ;  but  could  not  accomplifh  his  defire. 
However,  the  ad  for  toleration  of  pro  t  eft  ant  dijjenters* 
^ras  patted,  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign  ;  and  it  was 
impoflible  to  hurt  the  diffenters*>  whilejie  lived.  The 
defigns  formed  againft  their  liberties  in  the  latter  end 
of  Queen  Anne's  reign,  -f-  were  happily  fruftrated,  bjr 
the  acceflion  of  George  I  j  and,  fince  the  dominion  of 
the  royal  houfe  of  Hanover.,  the  toleration  hath  been 
religiouQy  maintained. 

IT  is  frequently  faid  the  times  are  grown  better,  the 
principles  of  religious  liberty,  and  the  rights  of  private 
judgment  are  better  understood,  and  a  full  toleration 
is,  generally,  agreed  to  be  beft  •,  to  be  fure  the  wanton 
exercife  of  prtlatical  power  hath,  for  fome  years  been 
reftrained. — BlefTed  be  God  that,  on  this  account,  we 

live 
*  Vid.   Dlfcenting  gentleman  s  anfwer  to  Mr.  White^  p,  77. 

and  Neat,  vol.  2.  p.  759. 

t  I  mean  the  aft  againft  occafional  conformity,  which  was 
formed  with  defign  to  cramp  the  toloraiion^  and  keep  un- 
dtr.the^Jfentefs  :  And  the  aft  U  prevent  the  growth  of 
fchifm,  in  which  the  education  of  children  is  taken  out 
of  the  hands  of  noHconformi/ts,  a  nd  entrufted  only  with 
fuch  as  are  full  and  iniire  confofmijls  ;  and  if  any  fchool- 
mafter  or  tutor  fhould  be  willingly  prefent  at  any  con- 
venticle of  dijfinters  for  religious  worjhipy  he  was  to  fuffer 
three  months  imprifonment,  and  be  difqua]5fiecj  frorn 
teaching  a  fchool  for  the  future.  This  iaft  a&  was  to 
take  place,  on  the  very  day  that  the  ^een  ^  ;  but 
King  Gttergt)  being  fenfible  thefe  hardfhips  were  bro't 
on  the  dffinters,  for  their  fteady  adherrnce  to  t^Q  pro. 
tejiani  fucceffion,  in  the  houfe  of  Hanover,  procured  the 
repeal,  of  thefe  afti,  in  the  fifth  yeair  Of  his  reign, 

I 


3<p  Religious  Liberty. 

Jive  in  better  times. — Blefled  be  God  For  the  writing 
of  Lock,  and  other  learned  men,  who  have  fo  effeftu- 
ally  expofed  the  iniquity  and  abiurdity  of  perfecution 
for  religious  opinions.  But  can  it  yet  be  faid  chat  the 
difftnttrs  at  home  are  not  fubjected  to  temporal  in- 
conveniencies,  on  account  of  their  religious  opinions  ? 
To  fay  nothing  of  their  being  held  to  fupporc  the  e- 
itablimed  worfhip  ;  as  an  additional  charge  to  the 
maintenance  of  the  miniftry  and  worfhip  of  God,  a- 
greable  to  their  confciences,  which,  perhaps,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  of  England  would  think  an  unrea- 
fonable  jmpofition  here.  *  To  fay  nothing  of  this, 
yet  thq  tejt  a€tj-\  which  requires  a  receiving  *tbe  jacra- 
went  of  the  Lord's  f upper  ^  according  to  the  ufage  of  tie 
church  of  England,  as  the  condition  of  ferving  their 
King,  and  Country,  in  places  of  honour  and  profit,  can- 
not" be  looked  upon,  by  judicious  men,  ether  wile  than 

as 

*.  This  was  accounted  a  grievance  c:ncng  vs9  and,  ferns 
years  ago,  an  acl:  of  the  government  was  made,  wit  Si 
universal  approbation,  releafmg  the  members  of  the 
church  of  England,  who  ftatedly  attend  t£e  woiihip  of 
God  in  that  way,  from  any  obligation  to  fupport  the 
public  worfliip  as  legally  ejlablijbcd  here.  The  like  li^ 
berty  was  aifo  granted  to  people  of  ether  denominations. 
Such  is  the  regard  we  generally  have  to  liberty  of  Cv,.. 
fcience  ! 

f  This  aff  was  made  in  25th  of  Cksrlcs  II,  and  obliges, 
under  very  fevere  penalties,  lt  all  perlons  baring  any 
*'  office  or  place  of  truft  or  profit — to  receive  tht  lacra- 
<{  ment  of  the  Lord's  (upper,  according  to  the  ufage  of 
<c  the  church  of  England)  in  ifome  panib  c!  urch,  on  a 
*6  Lord's  day,  immeoiately  after  ciivia  -  '  p.d  f«;.-i- 

*c  mon,  and  to  deliver  a  cmifkute  of  hiv-,  _r  H^.,ccived 
<c  it,  under  the  hands  of  the  refpeclivc  nvniiUrs  and 
<;  chutch  Wa/dens,  proved  by  two  credible  witriefies, 
Cf  upon  oath,  to  be  recorded  in  the  court."  THs  act  is 
complained  of  as  a  grievance  by  the  melt  judicious  part 
of  the  nation.  And  though  it  is  <efp?nfed  with,  in 
many  ififtances^yet  why  is  it  kept  i:i  be  g,  unlefs  that 
it  may  prove  an  inftrument  of  o}-p.e.Tivi>j  when  the 
times  will  permit  I 


an  invaluable  Bkjjlng.  j,i 

as  a  degree  6f  legal  impofition  -,  it  is,  at  leaft,  depriv- 
ing a  great  number  of  le^al  fubjecls,  of  the  common; 
priviledges  of  britr/Jj  fubjedts,  for  ading  up  to  their 
own  cpnfciences.  And,  for  what,  do  they  deferve 
this  hardfhip  ? — Have  they  not  ever  been  fteady  to 
the  government,  as  eftablifhed  at  the  revolution  ? 
Have  they  not  ablility  and  will  to  ferve  the  publick  ?. 
Have  they  not  a  natural  claim  to  the  priviledges  of 
Englifhmen  ?  When,  therefore,  they  are,  by  law,  ex- 
cluded from  all  places  of  honour  and  truft,  unlefsi 
upon  fuch  conditions  as  they  cannot  in  confcience 
comply  with,  what  is  this,  but  a  ftriping  them  of  the 
priviledges  of  fociety,  and  keeping  them,  to  a  certain 
degree*,  in  a  (late  of  oppreffion  and  perfecution  ? 

IT  is  not  without  pain  at  heart,  that  I  review  the 
fufferings  of  the  conicientious  nonconformifts  through: 
a  long  courfe  of  years.  Some  of  the  bed  men — many 
of  the  beft  chriftians—hundreds  of  the  beft  minifters, 
that  ever  were  in  the  nation,  have  felt  the  rigors  of 
perfecution  for  confcience  fake.  They  endured  filenc- 
ing,  fines,  imprifonments,  and  lingering  deaths.  Who 
can  read,  without  a  bleeding  heart,  the  unrelenting 
cruelties  of  Parker,  Whitgift,  Bancroft  and  Laud9.  un- 
der whom,  hundreds  of  godly  minifters,  were  either 
loaded  with  fines  or  mut  up  in  filthy  jails,  or  obliged 
to  fly  their  countries.  What  miftaken  zeal  was  it 
that  ejefted  2000  minifters  in  one  day,  excellent  pious 
divines,  whofe  writings  will  be  highly  efteemed,  as 
long  as  there  is  real  piety  in  the  nation  ? — Abandoned 
to  poverty  and  death  -,  inhumanly  banifhed  from  the 
places  of  their  miniftry,  leaft  triofe,  who  had  tafted 
the  fweet  of  their  labours,  mould  afford  them  any 
relief  ? — May  God  forgive  this  miftaken  teal, -and  leC 
not  the  fin  be  found  charged  upon  them  in  the  great 
day. 

MY  Brethren,  I  fay  not  thefe  things  to  raife  your 
tinchriftian  refentmentj  but  to  enlarge  your  gratitude; 


32  Religious  Liberty 

that  you  live  in  a  better  age,  and  in  a  land  of  liberty* 
Thoufands  in  former  days,  doubdefs,  abhorred  thofe 
perfecuting  meafures,  and  thoufknds  of  their  fucceffors, 
in  the  church,  abhor  them  in  the  prefent  day.  Mucli 
of  the  blame  was  owing  to  the  times^  as  well  as  the 
men.  Liberty  of  confcience,  the  rights  of  private 
judgment,  and  the  abiurdity  of  advancing  the  king- 
dom of  Chrift.,  by  penal  laws,  were  not  To  well  under- 
ftood,  among  any  denominations  of  chriftians,  as  they 
have  bztnfmce.  It  feems  to  have  been,  through  the 
fpecial  interpofition  of  heaven,  that  our  fathers  ob- 
tained, from  the  Crown,  a  grant  of  this  country,  with 
fuch#full  liberty  of  confcience  \  and  what  a  kind  pro- 
vidence i§  it,  which,  through  all  the  changes  and  re- 
volutions of  our  mother  country,  in  the  130  years 
pad,  hath  fuffered  no  durable  change  in  our  religious 
liberties.  Here  we  dwell  in  a  land  of  light,  a  region 
of  liberty  :  We  worfhip  God  according  to  the  order 
of  his  fancluary  ;  a  happinefs,  that  thoufands  of  the 
bcft  men  have  not  enjoyed. 

THESE  things,  to  men  wholly  indifferent  to  religi- 
on, and  flrangers  to  ferious  imprefllons,  may  ieem  to 
be  trifles.  One  way  of  worfhip  is  to  them  as  good  as 
another,  any  or  none  may  be,  to  them,  alike  -,  but  to 
men  who  are  ferioufly  concerned  to  fecure  the  divine 
acceptance,  and  enjoy  the  word  and  ordinances  in  gof- 
pel  fimplicity,  religious  liberty  is  one  of  the  mod  pre- 
cious jewels  on  earth.  The  rights  of  confcience  are 
facred  ;  and  what  is  there  worth  enjoying  here,  if  we 
are  deprived  of  the  free  enjoyment  of  the  word,  ordi- 
nances, and  worfhip  of  God,  in  conformity  to  our 
own  confciences  ?  Let  it  become  ah  article  in  your 
daily  thankfgivings  ;  let  this  be  a  principal  fubjeft  of, 
our  unfeigned  praife  on  this  anniverfary  and  joyful 
day.  Happy  is  the  people  that  is  in  fuch  a  cafe,  yea 
happy  is  that  people  whofe  GOD  is  the  LORD. 


DISCOURSE 


<*::so«<X 


;:v       ;     .     "^  .          . 

Religious  Liberty  ari  irivalii- 
able  Blemng. 


DISCOURSE  II 


..•*;•:  •  ;?-i       '   •  •  '  ;  • .  ••     •  •    v  :  .-i  "   ? 

III.  T  PROCEED,  as  was  propofed,  to  confided 
the  nature  of  that  liberty  wherewith,  we 
,  *  apprehend,  Chrift  hath. made  us  free  •,  the 
religions  liberty  which  we,  through  the  wonderful 
providence  of  God,  do  enjoy,  in  tills  land.  And 

IN  general  :  It  is  the  liberty  of"  worfhipping  God^ 
in  his  ordinances,  in  gofpel  fimplicity,  without  the 
unfcriptural  impofitions  of  men.  This  is  the  liberty 
for  which  our  fathers  came  into  this  land,  and  this 
is  the  liberty  wherewith  Chrift  hath  made  us  free. 


• 


IT  may  not  be  amifs,  now  we  are  upon  this  fub- 
je6t,  nor  unprofitable,  efpecially  to  our  youth,  to 
ftiew  particularly  what  were  the  uhTcriptural  jmpo- 
fitions,  under  which  our  fathers  groaned  5  what 
were  the  things,  with  which  they  could  not  comply  j 
andj  for  the  non-compliance  with  which,  they  drew 
on  themfelves  thofe  difficulties,  which  occalioned 
their  remove  to  this  land,  And  herej 


E 


BOUC 


34  Religion?  Liberty 

THOUGH  I  Will  not  pretend  to  relate  every  thing 
that  was  matter  of  grievance,  yet  1  will  give  you 
the  principal  exceptions  they  made  to  the  eftabiifh- 
ed  government,  worlhip  and  difcipline  •,  and  that, 
very  much,  in  the  manner,  in  which,  I  find  them 
fummed  up,  by  an  able  and  faithjul  hiftorian.  * 

T&EY  complained  of  the  bifieps  affecting  to  be 
thought  an  order  fuperior  to  prejlyters  ;  and  claim- 
ing ihtfole  right  of  ordination,  and  the/0/<?  exercife 
of  ecclefiaftical  difcipline,  as  having  no  foundation. 
in  fcripture,  nor  primitive  antiquity  ;  and  bting 
contrary  to  the  judgment  and  example  of  all  the 
proteftant  churches  abroad. 

THEY  alfo  diiliked  the  temporal  dignities  annexed 
to  their  office,  and  their  engaging  in  fecular  employ^ 
inents,  as  tending  to  exalt  them  above  their  bre- 
thren, as  not  agieable  to  their  character,  as  mini- 
fters  of  Chritl,  rior  confident  with  the  due  difcharge 
bf  the  facred  rrliniftry. 

THEY  excepted  to  the  titles  and  offices  of  drc6- 
dtacons,  Deans  ^  Chapters^  and  other  offidah^  belong- 
ing to  cathedrals*  as  having  no  foundation  in  icrip* 
ture,  or  primitive  antiquity. 

THEY  complained  of  the  cruel  unreafonable  ev- 
erclfe  of  church-powtr  •,  and  that  the  higher!  cen- 
fures  in  the  church  were  in  the  hands  of  laymen^ 
and  not  in  the  fpiritual  officers  of  the  church. 

THEY  alfo  lamented  the  want  of  a  godly  difci~ 
{)line,  and  were  grieved  at  the  proMifcuoUs  acCefs  of 
all  forts  of  peifons  to  the  Lord's  fupper,  when  the 
church,  in  her  own  articles,  is  defcribed  to  be  "  d 
congregation  of  faithful  perfons." 

AtTHOUOjJ 
*  Ntafs  Hift,  6f  the  Puritans  vol»  I.  p.  *57« 


$n  invaluable  Blejfing.  55 

ALTHOUGH  they  did  not  difpnte  the  lawfutnefa 
pf  fet  forms  of  prayer,  yet  they  defired  a  liberty  for 
prayers  of  their  o,w'n  compofure^  in  the  public  wor- 
(hip  ;  and  they  difliked  fome  things  in  the  public, 
liturgy.  As,  the  frequent  repetition  of  the  Lord's, 
prayer  ;  the  interruption  of  the  prayers,  by  {he  re- 
Jfonjes  of  the  people,  which  is  practised  in  no  other 
proteftant  church  in  the  world.  They  alfo  except- 
ed  to  fome  patfages  in  the  offices  of  burial  and 
marriage  \  as  thee  with  my  body  I  ibee  worjbip^in  the 
former  ;  and  thee,  in  fure  and  certain  bope  of  tbe 
refurr.eftion  to  everlaftjng  life,  to  be  pronounced  over 
the  worft  of  men,  except  in  a  few  cafes. 

THEY  like  wife  difliked  the  reading  the  apocrypbafr 
kooks^  in  the  church,  while  fome  parts  of  canonical 
iaipture  were  omitted  ;  they  alfo  thought  no  man 
ought  to  be  ordained  a  minifter  in  the  church,  who 
'was  incapable  of  preaching  and  expounding  the 
fcripture.  This  was  a  frequent  grievance  in  tbofe, 
days.  One  of  their  common  complaints  was,  thac 
there  were  fo  many  unpreachmg  miiniilejs,  pluralifts 
and  non-refidents  ;  and  that  men  were  prefentecl  to 
livings  in  the  church,  by  royal  authority,  bifhops, 
and  lay  patrons,  wljen  they  ought  to  arife  |from  th». 
of  the  people* 


THEY  alfQ  difapproved  of  the  obfervation  of 
fundry  of-thcfeftiva/s  and  holidays  of  the  church, 
a$  having  no  foundation  in  fcripture,  or 
antiquity. 


THEY  di.fallowed  of  the  cathedral  mode  of 
(hip,  of  finging  their  prayer  s^  and  of  the  Antiphons^ 
or  chanting  the  plalms  by  turns  ;  nor  did  they  ap-. 
prove  of  inftrumental  muiic  in  the  church,  which 
wiiS  not  in  ule  in  the  church  for  above  1290  years; 

E  2 


*&  Jksliffious  Liberty 

i>  _  ^.  .  , 

after  Chrift,  but  was,   cenfequently,  brought  in* 
in  the  depths  of  popery  ^ 

THEY  alfo  fcruplecl  *  conformity  to  certain  rites 
and  ceremonies  which  were  enjoyned  by  the  rubric k^ 
o.r  the  royal  authority  :  And  would  not  be  defpenfed 
wiih,  in  compliance  with  tender  confciences.  As, 

TtiEjign  of  the  crofs  in  baftijin,  which  is  no  pare 
of  the  inftitution  in  fcnpture,  and  of  whole  ufe;  in 
baptifrn,  there  is;  no  exprefs  mention  made,  until 
the  5th  century  \  and  had  been  abufed  to  fuperfti» 
tioti  by  the  church  of  Rome.-  They  alfo  difallowed 
of  the  fraptifm,  by  midwives  °,  and  of  the  runner  of 
churching  women, -which  they  thought  look'd  toa 
jpuch  \[\z&jewijh  purification. 

THEY  alfo  excepted  to  the  ure  of  god-fathers  and 
god-mothers^  to  fhe  exclufion  of  parents,  from  being 
fu  re  ties  for  the  education  of  their  own  children.— 
To  giving  biatbsntfo  names— and  the  anfwcr  given 
&  tbe  name  of  the  child.  They  like  wife  difapprov- 
<ed  the  time  and  manner  of  confirmation.  They  ex- 
cepted to  the  injunHjon  of  kneeling  at  the  iacr.a- 
ii.eni  of  the  Lord's  fupper,  as  not  agreable  to  the 
example  of  Chrift,  and  his  Apoftles  ;  which,  they 
believed,  hath  no  foundation  in  a;  tiquiiy,  for  many 
hundred  years  after  Chrift,  and  hath  been  prscliled 
by  the'papifts  in  their  worfhip  of  the  elements  : 
At  leaft,  they  thought,  kneeling  at  the  communion 
ought  to  be  left  inaiffertnt.  They  di (liked  the  bow- 
ing, at  the  name  of  Jefus,  as  grounded  upon  a  falfe 
interpretation  of  fcripture,  and  favouring  of  fuper- 
ftition, "  As  alfo,  the  giving  the  ring  in  marriage, 
derived  from  the  papifts,  who  make  marriage  a  fa- 

cramentp 

*  See  Dr.  Edwards'S)  a  divine  of  the  church  of  England,^ 
/A    Theplogia  reformata,  vol.  i.  p.  658.  —^Piercis  vindica- 
tion, p.  391,  &c,  —  Homily  a,  of  the  fleet  and  time  c£ 
prayer. 


an  invaluable  Buffing.  37. 

crament,  and  the  ring  a  facred  fign  or  fymbol :  As 
alib  the  forbidding  of  marriage  at  certain  iealons. 

THEY  alfo  difliked  the  wearing  the  furplice^  and 
other  ceremonies  in  divine  fervice,  of  which  the 
church  fays,  in  the  preface  to  her  liturgy,  that,  tho* 
they  were  devifed  by  men^  yet  tbey  are  rejerved  for  de- 
cency^ order  and  edification  \  but  our  fathers  faw  no 
decency  in  thefe  veftments,  and,  as  they  had  been 
abufed  to  popery,  they  thought  them  abfolutely 
unlawful,  and  fuppoied  the  ufe  of  them  a  giving 
encouragement  to  the  church  of  Rome,  and  that 
there  were  no  foundation  for  them,  in  fcripture  or 
primitive  antiquity.  * 

THESE  were  the  things  impofed  on  our  fathers, 
by  human  authority,  contrary  to  the  judgment  of 
their  own  cqnfciences  :  Thefe  grievances  they  la- 
boured for  the  redrefs  of,  many  years  ;  but,  all  that 
time,  dould  obtain  no  relief.  They  faw  the  refor- 
mation (land  (till,  and  could  obtain  no  nearer  ap- 
proach to  the  fimplicity  of  gofpel  worfhip  and  dif- 
cipline — at  length,  as  it  were,  guided  by  a  divine 
direction,  they  refolved  on  tranfporting  themfelves 

to 

i 

*  And  if  we  add  but  one  article  more,  though  indeed  that 
is  a  capital  and  fundamental  one,  we  have  the  chief  heads 
of  controverfy,  between  the  church  of  England  and  the 
proteftant  dij/enters,  at  this  day ;  and  that  is  our  exception 
to  that  part  of  the  2oth  article  of  the  church,  viz.  that 
the  church  hath  power  to  decree  rites  and  ceremonies  ;  and 
authority  in  matters  of  faith.  We  know  of  no  authority 
that  Chrift  hath  delegated  to  his  church  to  add  to,  or 
diminifh  from  the  form  of  vtorfhip, which  is  already  given 
us,  in  the  new  Teftament.  And  if  the  church  of  Eng- 
land hath  fuch  a  power3  we  fee  not  why  the  church  of 
Rome  hath  not  the  fame  priviledge.  Inftead  of  the  chur- 
ches having  authority  in  matters  of  faith,  we  believe, 
the  natural  right  every  man  hath  to  judge  for  himfelf, 
without  being  determined,  by  the  laws  of  the  civil  ma- 
or  the  judgment  of  any  church  under  heaven, 


3  8  Religious  Liberty 

to  this  new  world  •,  where  they  founded  churches; 
and  fet  up  God's  worfhip,  in  a  nearer  conformity  to 
the  gofpel  of  Chrift,and  carried  the  reformation  from 
popery  to  a  much  greater  perfection.  The  form  of 
worihip  and  difcipline,  on  wh;ch  they  erected  chur- 
ches here,  was  the  fame,  in  iubftance,  which  we  prc- 
ferve  untp  this  day.  A  form  approaching,  as  we 
believe,  yery  near  to  the  plan  of  the  new  teftamenr, 
which  we  are  not  afhamed  of ;  but  glory  in,  and 
hope  in  God  will  be  the  order  of  the  New -England 
churches,  until  the  bzadvi  the  church  (hall  appear. 

BUT  fome  may  demand,  wherein  confifteth  the 
real  valuable  liberty,  and  perfection  of  our  churches  -, 
wherein  confifts  our  nearer  approach  to  goipel  order, 
and  the  liberty  with  which  (Thrift  hath,  in  his  pro- 
vidence, made  us  free  ? 

I  ANSWER  :  In  the  firft  place  we  difclairn  all  hu- 
mati  authority,  in  matters  or  faith  and  worfhip  :  We 
regard  neither  pope  nor  prince  as  head  of  the  church  ; 
nor  acknowledge  that  any  parliaments  have  power  to 
enact  articles  of  doctrine,  or  forms  of  difcipline,  or 
modes  of  worfhip,  or  terms  of  church  communion. 
We  utterly  deny  the  power  of  any  na-ional  church, 
or  even  of  the  church  univerfai^  to  decree  riles  and 
ceremonies,  in  the  worfhip  of  God,  or  to  have  au- 
thority in  matters  of  faith.  Or  to  make  new  terms 
of  minifterial  or  lay  communion,  v^hich  are  nor  al- 
ready made,  in  the  new  tei'Umenr..  *  We  utterly 

difclaim, 

*  See  the  iniquity  of  requiring  fubfcriptions  to  articles,  of 
human  compofition>  fully  expofrd  in  a  book  intituled 
The  confefffmal.  Said  to  be  written  by  a  dignified  clergy- 
man, of  the  church  of  England.  It  i«  an  abfurd,  I  had 
alinoft  faid,  an  impious  reprefentation,  that  Chriil  and 
his  apoitles  fettled  no  determinate  form  of'  worship  ^.:d 

djfciplinf 


an  invaluable-  Bkjpng.  %$ 

idifclaim,  and  enjoy  a  liberty  from  all  civil  and  etcle- 
fiajiical  authority  in   matters  of  faith  and   worfhip. 
Chriir,  and  Chnft  alone,  we  acknowledge  and  ful>- 
mit  to,   as  Jole  head,  king,   and  lawgiver,   in   his 
church  ;  as  alone  having  authority,  by  himfelf,  and 
by  his  infpired  Apoftles,  to  give  us  articles  of  faith; 
and  to  ihltitute  rites  and  forms  of  worfhip  and  dif- 
cipline,  in  the  church  which  is  the  houfe  of  the  liv- 
ing God.     We  here  kfTert,  maintain,  and  enjoy  the 
'liberty  of  judging  and  acting  for  ourfelves,  in  mat- 
ters of  religion  ;  God  alone  being  the  Lord  of  con- 
fcience,  and  his  people  accountable  to  him  alone  a£ 
their  only  fovereign;     Thefe  churches  are  founded 
on  the  natural  right  of  private  judgment  j  they  are 
voluntary  focieties  of  the  faithful,  for  the  worfhip 
bf  God,  in  the  manner,  that  they  find  prefcribed  in 
God's  word  ;  without  the  lead  impofitions   of  hu- 
man authority,  temporal  or  fpi ritual.     Liberty  is  the 
fundamental  principle  of  our  eftablifhmcnt  ;  we  are 
accountable  to  none  burChfift.    This  liberty,  blefled 
be  God,  we  have  fully  enjoyed,  from  the  beginning. 
Jt  is  a  darling  priviledge,  which  we  cannot  be   too 
unwilling  to  give  up.     While  we  retain  thi$Iifortyl 
we  hold  the  door  faft  fhut  againft  fpiritual  tyranny 
and  impofitions  on  confcience.  Indeed  our  churches,; 
on  important  oceafidns,  afk  advice  and  diredtion  of 
their  brethren,  but  even  here  all  authority  &  coercive 
power  is  wifely  guarded  againft-~-to  their  own  ma- 
iler every  church,  and  every  chriftidn,  flandeth  or 
falleth.     Chrift  alone  is  head  of  the  church  5  to  his 
injunctions  we  pay  an  implicit  obedience,  but  from 
every  other  fpiritual  jUrifdiclion,  whether  in  popes, 

in 

difcipline  in  the  church,  but  left  thefe  things  to  the  civil 
magiftrate  ;  as  if  Chrift  left  his  church  a  weak  and  help- 
lefs  infant,  to  be  nurfed,  and  formed  by  human  authority  : 
which  feems  to  be  the  fenfe  of  a  late  ejjay  on  e 
wrote  in  anfwer  to  the  Cwfe/ianali 


40  Religious  Liberty 

in  kings,  in  parliaments,  fynods  or  councils,  we 
claim  and  adt&ally  enjoy  a  total  exemption  :  Oh 
blefied  priviledge  ! 

WE  enjoy  a  liberty  from  the  power  of  unfcriptural 
officers  and  minifters,  in  the  church  of  God  ;  we 
have  but  two  orders  of  the  miniftry,  elders  or/aftors, 
or  prejl'yttrs  or  bi/hcps^  or  overfeers,  (for,;by  all  thde 
names,  are  the  ordinary  minifters  of  Chrift  called,  in 
the  new  teftament,  from  the  feveral  views  of  the  na- 
ture of  their  office )  and  deacons.  As  for  arch  and  di- 
ccefan  ^\^\Q^^arcb- deacons  ^deans  ^chancellors  and  other 
officers  •,  we,  after  the  example  of  the  proteftant 
churches  abroad,  reckon  them  quite  unfcriptural, 
and  ufelefs,  and  a  vaft  and  needlefs  charge  to  the 
people  of  God  ;  a  yake  of  bondage,  that  neither  we 
nor  our  fathers  were  able  to  bear  £  we  fee  no  eccle- 
fiaftical  tribunals  ere&ed  among  us  :  This  we  take 
to  be  an  invaluable  liberty  •,  may  God  enable  us  tq 
Hand  faft  in  this  liberty^  that  this  yoke  of  bondage  may 
iiever  be  impoftd  upon  us  ! 

ANOTHER  of  our  ecclefiaftical  priviledges,  is  the 
liberty  .of  choofmg  cur  own  minifters.  This  is  a  right 
founded  in  reafon,  in  fcripture,  and  the  undoubted^ 
pra6lice  of  the  church,  in  the  primitive  ages.  When 
an  apoille  was  to  be  chofen,  the  whole  number  of 
difcij^es  were  applied  to,  who  appointed  two  as  can- 
didates for  the  office.  The  church  was  likewile 
directed  to  loofc  out  among  them  fevcn  men  for 
deacons.  The  primitive  bimops,  or  paftors,  were 
undoubtedly  elefted  by  the  fufFrages  of  the  churches, 
to  which  they  miniftered.  This  liberty  is  yet  pre- 
ferved  in  theie  churches,and  is  oneof  the  beft  means 
of  preierving  a  pious  and  painful,  laborious  and  hea- 
venly miniftry  5  and  of  making  a  religious  people. 
Our  minifters  are  never  impofed  upon  us  by  royal( 
Authority,  by  bilhops  or  lay  patrons.  We  call  to 

tlie 


1 

*  '       "'     •  t- 

.  .     an  invaluable  BkJJing* 

miniftry-men  that,  we  know,  are  approved  of 
God  ;  furnifhed  with  gifts  and  graces  for  this  work'. 
Nor  can  it  be  fuppofed  that  the  people,  who  have  f6 
much  regard  for  chriftianity  as  to  defire  a  miniftry 
'at  #//,  will  become  ever  fo  corrupt,  as  to  prefer  vici- 
bus  and  immoral  men  to  take  the  care  of  their  fouls', 
This  is  a  liberty  of  ineflimable  worth.  Again, 

,*.&;  THE  ordination  of  our  minifters  by  the  laying  oa 
pf  the  hands  of  the  prefby  tery,  ,or  ordinary  pallors  of 
the  church,  is  another  part  of  the  liberty  wherewith 
Chrift  hath  made  us  free.  And  if  any  fhould,  orj 
this  accpunr,  reproach  us,,  with  the  want  of  a  regular 
and  valid  adminidration  of  the  word  and  ordinances^ 
,they  would  do  well  to  confider,  that  .  the  minifters 
of  almoft  all  the  foreign  .proteftant  churches  receive 
no  other  than  prejlyterian  ordination-  The  illuftri- 
ous  proteftant  churches  of  Scotland^  France,  Holland^ 
Switzerland^  Gernia/iy,  Poland,  Hungary  and  Den* 
mark,  have  haB  only  this  ordination.  They  who 
bbjecl  a  want  of  valid  adminiftrations  to  us,  on  that 
account,  would,  therefore,  do  well  to  remember> 
that  thereby,  they  do  virtually  excommunicate,  al- 
hioft  all  the  foreign  churches  in  the  world,  except 
the  church  of  Rome^  that  mother  of  harlots  and  abo^ 
minatiom  of  the  earth.  *  .  Befides,  f 

F 


*  " 


.  .  ..4      ;  . 

The  Danijh  church  is  at  this  time  governed  by  bijhopsl> 
*'  but  they  look  on  epifcopacy  as  only  an  human  inftitu- 
<l  tion  i  and  the  firft  proteftant  prelates  of  that  kingdom 
">  were  ordained  by  Bugenbagius^  a  meer  prefbyter—  "fee 
the  dijjenting  gentleman  s  anfwer,  p.  84. 


It  is  inconteftably  evident,  that  the  firft  reformers  in 
land  held  the  identity  of  fcripture  prefbyters  and  bifhops  ; 
and  looked  on  epifcopacy  in  England  only,  as  a  meer  civil 
appointment.  —  Dr.  Bancroft,  in  a  fermon  in  1588,  frft 
niaint£ined,  that  the  bifhops  of  England  were  a  diftin6t  or- 
aer  frbm^r/^,  and  had  fuperiority  over  them  jure  divino, 

and 


^2-  Religious  Liberty 

WHEN  our  minifters  are  ordained,  and  take  upon 
them  the  overfight  of  the  Hock  of  Chrift,  they  do 
not  fpend  their  time  at  a  diftance  j  in  fecular  em- 
ployments, in  the  courts  of  princes,  in  parliaments, 
or  in  foreign  embaflys  \  but  they  conftantly  refide. 
among  the  flock  •>  and,  as  far  as  their  circurnftances 
permit",  they  give  themfelves  to  reading,  to  medi- 
tation an'd  prayer  ;  preach  the  word,  viiit  the  fick, 
comfort  the  fofrowful,  and  diligently  employ  them- 
felves  in  thbfe  holy  miniftrations,  which  may  edify 
and  comfort  the  people  of  their  charge.  We  have 
no  example  of  a  non-refident  minifter,  or  of  feveral 
ecclefiaftical  livings  given  to  one  man,  to  enrich 
him,  while  he  is  living  at  eafe  :  A  practice  loudly 
complained  of  by  the  bed  men,  and  fcrupled  by  the 
bed  minifters  at  home,  and  doubtlefs  an  awful 
hindrance  to  the  falvation  of  fouls. 

THE  difcipline  and  cenfures  of  our  church  are  not 
in  the  hands  of  hi/hops^  or  lay  chancellors^  or  other 
Officers,  and  the  admonitions  and  cenfures  of  the 
thurch  adminiflred  by  them  ;  but  every  church, 

according 

and  directly  fromGod.  **  This  was  new  and  ftrange  doct- 
44  rinetothe  churchmen  of  thefe  times.  It  had  been  always 
*'  faid,  that  the  fnperibrity  of  the  order  of  bifliops,  above 
*e  prefbyters  had  been  a  politic  human  appointment,  for  the 
*'  more  orderly  government  of  the  church,  begun  about 
*'  the  gd  or  4-th  century  ;  but  Bancroft  was  one  of  the  firft, 
*'  who,  by  the  arch-bifhop's  direction,  advanced  it  into 
c<  a  diVide  right."  His  fermon  gave  great  offence  ;  but 
this  doctrine  was  afterward  promoted  by  Laud^  and  o- 
thers,  as  fixing  the  cpifcopacy  on  the  fureft  foundation. 
However,  it  is  doubtful,  whether  there  has  been  in  Eng- 
land, to  this  day.;  properly  any  public  exprefs  affertion  of 
the  divine  right  of  prelacy,  either  by  parliament  or  convo- 
cation. Can  any  fuch  thing  be  found  in  the  39  articles, 
<or  in  the  Homilies,  or  in  the  form  of  ordination,  or  in 
.  the  common  prayer-book  ? — Vid.  AW,  vol.  i.  p,  330*— 
and  Dr.  Ckauncy's  excellent  difcourfe  on  the  vaiiditf 
of  ordination  by  prejbyters* 


an  rnvalualle  Blejfing.  43 

according  to  apoftolic  example,  claims  it,  as  a  gof- 
pel  appointment  to  maintain  the  holy  difcipline  of 
Chrift  in  his  church.  As  members  one  of  another, 
they  maintain  a  holy  watch  over  one  another  ;  re- 
prove, admonifh  or  caft  out  from  their  communion, 
according  to  the  power  given  his  churches,  by  our 
Lord  Jeius  Chriit 

THE  communion  of  (he  body  and  blood  of  Chrift  is 
not,  in  our  churches,  enjoyned  by  civil  authority, 
to  be  given  or  received  as  a  qualification  for  fecular 
offices  ;  our  mjnifters  are  not  obliged  to  adminifter 
the  elements  to  any  that  come.  We  are  not  obli- 
ged to  fee  wicked  and  profligate  men  around  the 
Lord's  table,  demanding  the  holy  fupper  as  a  qua- 
lification for  the  profitable  employments  of  this 
world.  * 

Tf*s  government  and  cenfures  of  our  churches  are 
not  carnal,  but  fpiritual.  Our  Saviour  declared  that 
his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world  :  Agreably,  we 
difclaim  all  right  to  inflict  corporal  pains  and  punifri- 
ments  -,  or  to  deprive  men  of  their  money  or  e- 
itates.  When  we  excommunicate  an  unworthy 
member,  and  cut  him  off  as  a  rotten  branch,  we  only 
judge  him  unworthy  of  fellowihip  with  us  in  holy  or- 
dinances. We  dare  not  pretend  to  the  fword,  left  we 
periili  by  the  fword.  We  know  no  Inch  thing  here 
as  an  ecclefiailical  cenfure's,  ciifabling  a  man  from 
aflerting  his  ngtural  rights,  from  being  a  witnefs, 
bringing  an  action  againft  a  trepaffer,  or  making  him 
liable  to  imprifonment  for  non-compliance  ;  thq, 
weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal  but  Ipiritual. 

WE  are  not  confined  in  the  worfhip  of  God  to  fet 

forms  of  prayer,  eftablifhed  by  human  authority  ;   but 

according  to  the  example  of  Chrift  and  his  apoftlesa 

F  2  andlj 

g  Vid.  Denting  geq'lf mat's  aJifwer,  pag.-  2.^. 


Liberty 

and  the  primitive  church,  we  offer  our  religious  fer- 
Vices  in  a  more  free  and  liberal  manner  •,  in  a  lan- 
guage exprefiive  of  the  fulnefs  of  our  hearts,  and 
^uited  to  the  various  occafions  and  fubjecls  of  pray- 
er *,  by  which  we  find  our  hearts  aifcc-ted,  and  ouif 
Spiritual.  edification  promoted. 
'» 

WE;  do  not  obferve  days  and  times  •,  the  f**fts9i 
feflivals  and  holidays  in  honour  of  Chri'it,  or  the  taints  A 
•which  have  rib  foundation  in  the  new  teftament^ 
fior  in  apoftolic  antiquity  ^  but  were  invented  in  the 
times  of  popery.  The  Lord's  day  alone  we  eileem 
as  facred,  and,  this  day,  after  the  example  of  the 
apoftles,  we  religidufly  obferve,  'in  honour  of  our 
Lord  Chrift  :—  The  reft,  though  they  have  a  (hew 
6f  humility'  and  piety,  yet,!not  'being  the  inftituti- 
ons  of  Chrift,  but  the  inventions  of  fuperRicious 
we  dare  not  impofe  ar  obferve, 


A  DECENT  and  reverend  order  we  obferve  in  our; 
public  worfliip,  but  the  neater  we  come  to  the  fim- 
plicity  of  gofpcl  times,  we  account  it  the  Better  :, 
We  ailov/.  to  no  man,;  or  body  of  men,  nor  to  any; 
authority,  civil  or  facred,  rany  power  to  decree  rites, 
or  ceremonies,  or  forms  of  \?vorfhip,  or  ad  mm  id  rati- 
on of  facraments,  which  are  not  found  in  the  gofpel. 
It  is  enough  to  engage  us  to  reject  them,  not  that 
^hey  are  not-  expreliy  forbidden,  but  that  they  are 
Dot  enjoyned/  We  have  n'o  power  to  $dd,  or  obferve 
the  inventions  of  men.  for  decency  or  ornament,  let 
the  pretence'be  ever  fo  plaufible.  Hence  our  ad- 
fniniftration'  of  the  word  facramenls  and  prayers  i$, 
ftript  of  allhuaian  adorhings  ;  of  thofe  ceremonies,, 
$cc.'  vyhich  we  account  the  relkks  of  fu;  erftition, 
and  which  were  once  fubfervient  to  that 
deformed  the  ho,ufe  pf.Gp8. 


an  invaluable,  Bleffing.  45 

IN  fine  :  We  claim  and  exercife  tlie  liberty  of  a 
ftill  further  reformation,  and  a  nearer  approach  to 
gofpel  order,  when  we  mall  receive  further  light. 
We  4o  not  pretend  that  our  churches  are  perfec^, 
and  that  no  change  could,  in  any  refpedt,  be  made 
in  our  difcipline,  for  the  better  :  In  iome  refpects, 
I  am  perfwaded,  we  might  come  nearer  to  gofpel 
order.  But  vyhere  is  there  perfection,  in  this  world  ? 
Where  is  the  church,  in  this  world,  that  is  perfect- 
ly, in  all  points,  conformed  tq  the  gofpel  ?  Some 
things  needed  to  be  fet  in  order^  in  the  churchy 
planted  by  the  apoflles,  a,nd  watered  under  their 
eye.  We-  pretend  not  to  infallibility;  we  feek 
further  direction,  and  nothing  hinders  our  improve- 
ment in  the  worfhip  and  difcipline  of  God's  houfe. 
We  are  not  obliged  to  afk  the  liberty,  or  wait  the 
motion  of  our  fuperiors  whether  we  fhall  reform 
what  is  amifs.  We  are  not  liable  to  an  interdiction 
from  authority,  civil  or  ecclefiaftical,  when  we  would 
embrace  what,  appears  to  us,  agreable  to  tbe  will 
of  Clirilt,  and  for  fpiritual  edification,  g, ;; 

THESS  are  the  ftcred  liberties  in  \vhjch  we  glory  ; 
we  are  no:  afhamed  of  our  profeffion,  or  afraid  to 
defend  our  gofpel  order.  In.  the  peaceful  enjoy, 
inent  of  thefe  liberties^  and  the  maintenance  of  our 
gofpei  order,  for  feveral  generations  paft,  we  have 
experienced  the  fpiritual  preferice  of  Chrift,  in  his 
ordinances.  God  hath  blefFed  his  word  and  ordi- 
nances, to  the  edification  and  comfort  of  thoufands, 
Already,  as  we  believe,  gone  to  glory.  And  though 
no  church  can  boaft  of  univerfal  piety  in  its  mem- 
bers, yet,  blefTed  be  God,  we  have  great  mul- 
titudes obedient  to  the  faith  ;  our  churches  have  reft 
and  are  edified  \  and,  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord^ 
$nd  in  the  comforts  of  the  Holy  Gboft,  they  are  muhi- 
whHe  the  purity  of  divine  worfhip  is 


4$  Religious  Liberty. 

maintained,  we  doubt  not  of  the  fulfilment  of 
glorious  promife  of  the  head  of  the  church  :  Lo  J 
am  wit'h  you  alway,  even  to  tbe  end  of  the  world.  Amen. 
Be  it  unto  thy  lervants  according  to  thy  word. 

THERE  are  pot  wanting,  even  in  our  day,  thofe, 
who  adventure  to  reprefent  the  planters  of  thefe 
colonies,  and  their  pofterity,  in  the  very  worft  light ; 
as  though  they  had  loft  their  native  religion,  aban- 
doned the  worfnip  a^d  loft  the  knowledge  of  God, 
a;e  become  heathens  themfelves,  are  found  living 
in  many  places  in  dijflolute  wickednefs,  and  the  mofi 
brutal  fir  ojligacy  of  manners,  and  laughing  at  the  bible.* 

But 

•*  Reference  is  here  had  to  the  two  1  aft  fermons  preached 
before  the  incsrpora tedfociety  for  t})e  propagation  of  tbe  gef- 
pel}  in  foreign  parts  :  In  the  former  of  which,  preached 
by  the  bijbop  of  Gloucefler9  is  this  unkind,  and  we  think, 
injurious  reflection  upon  us.  "  Thus  it  came  to  pafs, 
**.  that  the  very  people,  whofe  fathers  were  driven  for 
^  conscience  fake  into  the  wafte  and  howling  wildernefs, 
"  is  now  as  ready  to  laugh  at  that  bible,  the  iroft  pre- 
*'  cious  reli<ft  of  their  ruined  fortunes,  as  at  their  ruffs 

<'  and  collar  bands/' 

*"    ' 

In  the  latter  of  thefe  difcourfes,  preached  this  very  year, 
by  the  bifhop  of  Landajf,  are  fuch  expreilions  as  thefe  : 
*'  To  the  adventurers,  what  reproach  co-ild  be  caft .  hea- 
<4  vier  than  they  defervefi  ?  Who,  with  their  native  foiJ, 
*c  abandoned  their  native  manners  and  reiigicn,  aiid  e'er 
<c  long  were  found,  in  many  parts,  living  without  re- 
<c  membrance  or  knowledge  of  God,  without  (Hv;»ie  wor- 
V  fhip,  in  diflblute  wickednefss  and  t\e  moil  brutal  profii- 
"-gacy  of  manners.  Inftead  of  civiiizi.og  and  converting 
"  barbarous  infidels, as  they  undertook  to  do, they  became 
"  themfelves  infidels  and  barbarians,"  &e. —  V\\z  injuries 
and  cruelty  of  fuch  reflections,  as  pointed  at  the:  frew- 
England  colonies,  *KQ  judiciwfy  expofed  by  D».  Chavr.cy^ 
in  a  letter  to  a  frieni,  publifhcd  fince  the  preachir.g  of 
thefe  (MY)  diicourfss. 

Npj; 


an  invaluable  Bleffmgi  47 

But  God  knows  how  unjuftly  thefe  things  are  faid 
of  us,  iq  this  land.  More  was  never  done  by  a  peo- 
ple, according  to  their  ability,  to  uphold  religion* : 
Our  churches  are  numerous  5  fcarce  any  part  of 
thefe  fettlements  is  deftitute  of  a  fettled  miniftry  $ 
our  churches  are  adorned  with  worthy  and  re- 
fpectable  paftors,  who  feed  the  people  with  know- 
ledge and  underftanding  :  And  as  much  of  the 
form  of  religion  is  found  amongft  us,  as  in  any  pare 
of  Chriftendom.  We  are  obliged  to  fuch  as  are 
not  afhamed  to  vindicate  our  reputation,  and  plead 
for  our  facred  liberties. 

WE  freely  confefs,  that^  however  uninviting  a 
worfhip,  quite  fimple  in  its  nature,  a  miniftry  ftript^ 
like  ours,  of  fecular  honours  and  emoluments,  may 
appear  to  others,  yet  to  us,  who  embrace  religion 
as  the  way  to  heaven,  and  not  to  the  great  things 
of  this  world,  our  gofpel  order  and  worfhip  is  ex- 
ceeding dear.*  We  rejoice  5  we  blefs  God  for  thefe 

liberties, 

Nor  can  we  comprehend  what  can  be  the  defign  of  fuch 
repeated  mifreprefentations  of  us,  unlefs  it  be  to  fhew  the 
neceffity,  and  to  help  forward  the  great  defign  of  extend- 
ing epifcopacy  over  the  colonies  ;  which  bufinefs  accom- 
plifhed,  his  Lordfhip  (of  Landaff)  declares,  ««  then  the 
"  bufmefs  of  this  fociety  will  have  been  brought  to  the 
"  happy  iffue  intended." 

*  The  general  regard,  that  this  people  have  to  our  prefent 
religious  liberty^  is  juftly  fet  forth  by  Dr.  Chauncy^  in  his 
aforefaid  remarks  on  the  bifhop  of  Landaff's  fermon. — • 
"  We  (fays  he)  in  thefe  parts,  not  only  know  the  errand 
"  of  our  fore- fathers  into  this  country,  but  have  been, 
<c  well  indoctrinated  in  the  principles  of  chriftian  liberty. 
"  We  prefer  our  own  mode  of  worfhip  and  difcipline,  to 
t5  that  of  the  Englijh  church  ;  and  we  do  it  upon  prin- 
u  ciple,  as  really  believing  that  it  comes  nearer  to  the 
*l  purity  and  fimplicity  of  gofpel  direction.  And,  as 

"  thefe 


Religious    "Liberty 

• 

as  one  of  the  principal  glories  of  our  land* 
If  there  be  any  who  would  gladly  fee  our  fpiritual 
freedom  taken  away,  and  thefe  American  churches' 
fubjecled  to  eft f copal  jurildicYion,  we  hope  their 
numbers  are  comparatively  fmall  :  And  we  truft  in 
God,  and  the  King,  that  all  attempts  to  wreft  our 
liberties  from  us  will  prove  ineffectual.  We  have 
had  kings,  the  fathers  of  fa c red  liberty  :  Such  was 
the  glorious  William  III,  fuch  was  the  iliuftrious 
George  I,'  fuch  was  Georgt  II,  than  whom,  a  more  a- 
iriiable  and  happy  prince  never  fat  on  a  throne  ; 
fuch  a  fovereign,  is  now  on  the  britijh  throne  ;  witK 
fuch  princes  may  the  kingdom  be  blerffed/i?  long  as 
t*oe  moon  fhall  endure*-*— — I  come  in  the  laft  place 
to  mew — — 

IV.  THAT  it  highly  becomes  us  to  underftand 
and  be  thankful  for  our  privijedges,  and  tojland 
faft  in  the  LIBERTT  wherewith  Ckrift  bath  made  us 
free.  God,  my  brethren,  hath  called  us  to  liberty — - 
in  a  wonderful  manner  did  he  bring  our  fathers  into 
tnis  land  of  liberty,  and  now,  for  more  than  an  hun- 
dred 

*c  thefe  are  the  generally  prevailing  fentiments  in  New- 
fc  England^  and  their  conduit  has  all  along  been  gcne- 
*?  rally  conformable  hereto,  we  have  no  fearful  appre- 
**  henfions  of  a  departure  herefrom  ;  but  are  rather  fully 
<c  perfwaded,  they  will  {land  faft  to  their  principles,  and 
<;  clofely  adhere  to  that  mode  of  worfhip,  which  has  hi- 
*f  therto  been  in  ufe  among  them,  whatever  attempt^1 
46  may  be  made  to  turn  them  afide,"  p.  53. 

And  again,  p.  47.  "  It  may  be  relied  on,  our  people  would 
44  not  be  eafy,  if  retrained  in  the  exercife  of  that  liberty 
"  wherewith  Chtift  hath  made  them  free  ;  yea,  they  would 
*'  hazard  every  thing  dear  to  them,  their  eftates,  their 
**  very  lives,  rather  than  fufter  their  necks  to  be  put 
"  under  that  yoke  of  bondage,  which  was  fo  fadly  gall- 
4<  ing  to  their  fathers,  and  occafioneci  their  retreat  into 
«"  this  diftaht  land,  that  they  might  enjoy  the-.frcedcigf 
"  6f  men  and  chriftians." 


un  tnvtiluabTe  Bleffing. 


dre\i  years,  hath  he  continued  us  in  the  Full  and  per? 
feet  enjoyment  of  our  religious  liberties  —  no  weapon 
formed  againft  us  hath  profpered.  Let  us  under- 
hand our  liberty,  let  us  prize  it,  as  ome  of  the  great- 
eft  bleflings  ;  let  us  improye  it  to  the  nobleft  pur*; 
pofes,  and  ft  and  {aft  therein. 

,  FAR  be  it  from  me  to  encourage  a  fpirit  of  bit? 
ternefs,  or  cenforioufnefs  towards  fuch  as  differ  froni 
us  -9  the  religion  of  our  common  mailer  forbids  all 
anger,,  malice,  judging,  and  centering  one  another. 
We  mould  wa\k  in  love  with  all  that  call  on  tho 
Lord  Jefus  thrift  with  a  pure  heart.  Among  all 
denominations  of  chriftians.  there  are  jto  be  found 
ferious  men  and  women,  the  true  children  of  God. 
We  are  not  to  wonder  that  perforis  .commonly  pre- 
fer the  mode  of  worfhip  in  which  they  were  edu- 
cated. T,he  church  of  .England  we  honour  as  an  il- 
luftrious  branch,  of  '  .t\\etreformati.on,(vAtho*.  we  think; 
there  is  room  for  a  ftill  further  reformation).  Man$ 
of  her  minifters  of  this,  as  well  as  of  former  ages,  we 
hpnour,  as  divine's  of  great  learning  and  piety  ;  and 
many  of  her  members  \ve,fmcerely  refpe6t,  as  per- 
lons  of  fincere  ,piety,  .goodnefs,  candour  and  mode- 
ration. Religion  is  never  a  proper  occafion  of  ftrife 
and  angry  contention.  We  mould  do  good  to  all  £ 
wim  grace,  mercy  and  peace  from  God  the  Father, 
and  our  Lord  Jefus  Chriftj  to  all  that  love  the  Lord 
Jefus  in  fincerity. 

I  .,»  •-•'     •         i          «>>        ?         1'      .';       ,        '      '          ?"-     .'., 

IT  feems  to  be  an  infelicity;  infe|DeraBle  froth  our 
prefent  imperfect  ftate,  that  wife  and  good.  men  can- 
not always  think  alike.  This  is  doubtlefs  permitted^ 
that  there  may  be  place  for  the  exercife  of  mutual 
candour  and  forbearance  :  It  is  an  unhappinefs  than 
God's  children  deeply  lament  -,  hereby  their  longing 
Hefires  iirc  led  forth  after  that  land  of  light  &.lpycj| 

G  Mere 


50  Religious  Liberty 

where  the  mifls  of  ignorance  and  miftake  will  be 
done  away  ;  where  they  (hall  be  of  one  mind,  and 
unitedly  worfhip  the  Father,  in  that  houfe  not  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens. — In  the  mean  time, 
it  is  greatly  to  be  wifhed,  that  good  men  of  all  de- 
nominations, might  rightly  confider  the  infirmity  of 
the  prefcnt  life,  love  as  brethren,  living  in  the  exer- 
cife  of  candour  and  forgivenefs.  Whereto  we  have 
already  attained,  let  us  walk  by  the  fame  nth,  let  us 
mind  the  fame  thing.  But  this  notwithstanding,  we 
may  know  and  efteem  our  priviledges ;  we  may  hold 
them  faft  as  one  of  the  richeft  gifts  of  God  :  Oh  ! 
liberty  of  conference  ;  \.\\t  purity  of  God's  worfhip  and 
ordinances,  is  one  of  the  greateft  blefllngs  on  earth. 

PARENTS,  aged  perfons,  and  perfons  of  fuperior 
understanding,  mould  be  particularly  careful  to  re- 
commend our  facred  liberties.- — It  might  be  of  great 
fervice,  to  tell  your  children  of  the  great  defign  of 
our  fathers  coming  over  the  wide  atlantic^-\hz  diffi- 
culties which  brought  them  from  their  native  land — 
the  hardiliips  they  underwent  in  fettling  this  howling 
wilclernefs — the  patience  with  which  they  endured 
them,  while  they  had  reft  and  freedom  In  the  wor- 
fhip of  God- — with  the  Excellency  of  our  worfhip  and 
difcipline,  and  its  agreement  with  the  word  of  God. 

OUR  young  people  alfo  mould  learn  to  know  our 
liberty.  The  pure  worfhip  of  God,  for  which  your 
fathers  gave  up  their  native  land — abandoned  the 
land  of  their  fathers  fepulchres—ventured  over  a 
tempeftuous  ocean^ — expended  their  fubftance — fet- 
tled themfelves  amid  ft  lavages  and  wild  beafts,  and 
maintained  dreadful  wars  with  the  natives — the  pure 
worftiip  and  gofpel  liberty^  for  which  our  fathers  did 
thefe  things,  doth,  at  hafl,  deferve  a  ferious  regard. 
Should  we,  or  any  fucceeding  age,  defpife  our  liberty^ 

fa 


6#  invaluable  Bkjjlng. 

fo  dearly  bought,  what  do  we,  but  trample  upon  our 
fathers  duft,  and  difturb  the  afhes  of  our  godly  an- 
ceftors,  whotpurchafed  this  land  for  us  at  fo  great: 
expence  ?  Surely,  the  religious  liberty^  and  gofpel 
prder,  which  they  purchased  for  us,  at  fo  dear  a 
price,  deferves  ourferious  refpect,  and  is  not,  vainly 
and  incon/ideratelytQ  be  given  away. 

THESE  churches,  from  the  beginning,  have  been 
furnifhed  with  as  able  and  ufeful  minift^rs,  as  any 
churches  in  the  world  j.  and  fuch>  I  hope  in  God, 
they  are  fupplied  with  at  this  day.  It  will  therefore 
be  one  means  of  retaining  out?  liberties,  to  encou- 
rage their  hearts  &  ftrengthen  their  hands.  While 
they  labour  in  the  word  and  doctrine,  it  is  the  wik 
clom  of  the  churches  to  efteem  them  highly  in  love, 
and  to  make  their  circumftances  eafy  unto  them. 
Under  the  prefent;  ecclejtafticalconftitution,  your  mi-, 
ciders  have  aot  the  profpects  of  rich  benefices  ;  of 
amaffing  riches  \  of  fumptuous  tables  and  tfately 
equipage  ^ — our  ftations  are  not  places  of  eafe  and 
profit  -,  but  of  labour  and  diligence.  We  leek  not 
the  great  things  of  this  world  ;  we  gladly  renounce 
all  hopes  of  thefe  temporal  emoluments,  that  our 
miniftry  may  be  ufeful  to  your  fouls,  and  your  /;- 
.herty  may  be  preferved.  All  we  expect,_  all  we  de- 
fire  for  ourfelves,  and  families,  is  a  decent  fupport, 
a  freedom  to  attend  the  duties  of  our  office,  and  the 
means  of  making  fuch  provifioa  for  our  families,  as 
our  neighbours,  in  common,  are  able  to  do,  in  fe- 
cular  life.  It  would  be  cruel  hard  to  deny  this,  and 
more  we  do  not  expect  nor  defire.  Some  other  e- 
fiafylifhment  might  make  us  rich  and  independent,, 
but  we  defire  no  other,  we  feek  no-other  ;  we  feek 
not  yours,  but  you  ;  you  find  none  more  foliicitous, 
tp.preferye  your  facred  priviledges  than  yoyr  mini- 

Q.  2  >& 


J3  Religious  Liberty 

fters,  who  alone  could  form  expectations  from  2^ 
Change.  Gratitude  'and  love  will  then  engage  the 
people  of  tins  land,  to  comfort  their  minifters  hearts'^ 
to  afford  them  '  a  "relpedful  iubfiftence  -,  to  place 
them  out  of  circumftanccs  of  diftrefs,  that  they  may 
tfnake  full  proof  of  their  miniftry  -3  fave  their  ow;a 
fouls,  and  them,  that  hear  them. 

MAY  I  be  allowed.,  with  all  humility  to  add  ;-— 
that  it  highly  becomes  our  'civil  rultrs^  efpecially  the 
repreientativcs  of  this  people,  to  watch  over  our  fa-* 
ired^  as  well  as  our  civiriibsrtits.  Far  be  it  from  me 
to  defire  that  the  civil  arm  fhould  be  (Iretched  ouc 
to  pqnifH  heretics  *,  human  decrees  are  not  the 
rneahs  to  propagate  the  religion  of  Jefus  :  For  this, 
we  defire  t>ut  the  weapons'  of  light  'and  truth,  the 
Avord  6f  the  fpiric,  and  the  liberry  of  free  enquiry. 
But  yet'the  majeftrate  is  to  be  the'  minifter  of  Goii 
for  gbed  -3  by1  upholding  mankind  in  the'ir  chriftiah 
liberty  ;''  by  defending  chriftians  from  exterior  vid- 
lehce,  by  fupporting/t^Wj  and  colleges  for  training 
up  bur  ybuth  for  the  work  of  the  miniflry  ;  and  by- 
giving  due  encouragement  for  men  of  ability  to  un- 
dertake the  facred'  employment.  We'  wifh  never 
to  find  authority  inverted  in  men,  unfriendly  to  the 
facrM  liberties  of  their  country  ;  that  would  dil> 
courage  a  ierious  miniitry,  or  would  meanly  facrk 
fice  our  lacred  rights  for  any  temporal  advantage^ 
to  themfclves.  *  " 


*  May  I  be  permitted  to  add  ;  It  was  an  evidence  of  the 
noble  and  liberal'  fpirit  of  our  fathers,  not  only  that  they 
fo  early  founded,  zfeminary  of  learning,  for  the  educauo^i 
of  youth  foj  the  rninlftr/  ;  bu{  alfo  that;  they,  by  a  law, 
obliged  every  town  to  keep  a  grammar  fchool.  This 
hath  proved  of  excellent  fervire,  nnt  only  for  fitting  chiH- 
<^ren  for  the  college^  with  very  'little  expence,  by  which, 


an  invaluable  BleJJlng.  53 

STAND  faft,  may  brethren,  (land  fad  in  your  fa- 
fcred  liberties  :  Uriderftand  your  freedom  ;  honour 
your  noble  anceftors,  keep  dole  to-  Ch  rift,  and  pre- 
ferve  his  inftitutions  in  their  purity  :  Be  difcreec^ 
and  (leady  in  the  eAercile  of  your  liberty.  Brethren* 
be  per/eft,  be  of  good  tcmfori\  be  of  one  wind*  five  in 
>  and  the>God  of  love  and  peace  Jh  all  be  with  you. 


OUR  liberties,  both  civil  anc}  facred,  are  truly 
our  own  ;  they  are  what  our  fathers  dearly  bought  ; 
they  defcend  to  us  as  z  patrimony  purchafed  at  their 
expence.  They  were  driven  by  fpiritual  tyranny 
from  the  land  of  their  fathers  fepulchres.  Encou- 
raged by  the  Royal  Grant  of  full  liberty,  of  confci- 
ence,  at  a  vail:  expence  they  tranfplanted  themielves 
and  families  over  the  extended  ocean,  t.hey  fut>dued 
the  wildernefs,  built  them  houfes,  planned  them:  or- 
chards, defended  th'emfelves  againft  the  favages, 
and  widely  extended  the  Britifh  dominions,  at  their 
<^;tf  expence,  without  any  charge  to  the  cduntry,from 
which  they  came.  They  for  more  than  an  hundred 
years,  defended  their  own  fettlements,  and  waged 
defenfive  wars  with  the  barbarous  Indians,  in  which, 
<ome  tboufatids  of  our  brave  inhabitants  have  peiifh- 

ed. 

means  a  greater  number  have  been  educated  ;  but  alfp  as 
it  hath  afforded  a  fuitable  employment  for  young*  men, 
after  they  have  paffed  through  the  college-,  and  they  have 
been  able  to  maintain  themfelves,  while  following  their 
ftudies  for  the  miniftry.  And  without  this  provifion  the 
churches  would  never  have  had  the  fervices  of  many,  who 
have  been  burning  and  (hining  lights  in  this  country. 
If  therefore  any  of  our  people  do,  or  (hall,  defire  to  ob- 
tain a  repeal  of  this  excellent  law,  we  muft  either  fuppofe 
them  to  be  deceived  by  the  artful  infmuations  of  ill  de- 
figning  men,  or  they  betray  an  infenfibility  of  the  inte- 
reft  of  their  country,  and  an  illiberal  fpirit,  cnjite  ,unwor;» 
^hy  of  their  no^le  ancefors,  '  v  ,  ;  ' 


54  Religious  Liberty, 


cd.  It  is  computed,  by  an  aut 
sind  abilities  among  us,  *  "  that  from  1675,  when 
«'  Phillip's  war  began,  to  1713,^^  w  fix  .thoufand 
V  of  the  youth  of  the  country  had  periflitd,  by  the. 
"  enemy,  or  by  diftempers  contracted  in  the  fer- 
V  vice  ;  nine  in  ttn  of  thefe  would  have  been  fathers 
V  of  families,  and,  in  the  courfe  of  forty  years,  have 
"  multiplied  to  near  an  hundred  thoujand  fouls.'5' 
And  in  our  own  days,  two  or  three  thoufand  young 
men  periihed  at,  and  after,  the  fiege  of  Lauijbourg^  in 
1745.  And  perhaps  the  lofs  of  the  New-England 
Colonies,  during  the  laft  war,  in  battles,  fieges,  and 
by  ficknefs,  could  not  fall  much  fhort  of  ten  thcufand 
men  ;  yea  the  aforementioned  Hiltorian  fuppofes, 
*'  it  is  probable,  there  would  have  been  two  hundred 
thoufand  fouls  more,  than  there  this  time,  in 

New-  England^  if  the  French  j  <-n  driven  frem 

Canada  an  hundred  years  ago.*' 

To  God  almighty  we  have  forfeited  every  blef- 
fing  :  But  of  man  we  hold  our  liberties  as  an  here- 
ditary right  •,  as  the  inheritance  of  our  dear  ancelt- 
.prs,  dearly  obtained  with  their  blood  and  treaiure. 
We  have  ever  been  a  loyal  people  •,  we  think  our 
feves  happy  under  the  Britifo  government  •,  we  have 
never  forfeited  our  priviledges  ;  we  have  enlarged 
the  kingdom,  and  are  yearly  enriching  our  mother- 
country  •,  and  mould  any  attempt  be  made  to  re- 
ftrain  us  in  the  exercife  of  our  liberty,  we  ihould 
be  deeply  grieved,  and  think  ourfelves  very  hardly 
dealt  by  :  Defpifed  be  the  bafe  foul  who  lhall,  like 
EfaU)  for  one  morjel  of  bread^  fell  his  birthright, 

As  our  numbers  increafe,  it  may  be  expected 
they  will  increafe,  who  are  indifferent  to  things  of  a 

fpiritua] 

•  See  Lieut.  Governor  Hutcbinfon's  hift.  of 
Bay,  vol.  2.  p,  201,  and  202»  margin. 


an  invaluable  Blejfing.  55 

rpiritual  nature,  and  liberty  of  confcience  will  pro- 
portionably  be  defpifed  :  But  it  is  with  the  greater! 
pleafure,  we  lee,  at  this  time,  our  numbers  increafe, 
numerous  churches  rifing  in  the  wilderniefs,  firmly  - 
united,  with  us,  in  the  lame  mind  and  judgment^ 
and  our  Colleges  fupplying  them  with  able  and  pro- 
mifiag  Paftors  •,  fo  that  to  them  is  applicable  that 
of  the  Prophet,  Ifai.  35.  ),  2.  The  wildernefs  and 
the  folitary  place  /ball  be  glad  for  them  £  and  the  defer  t 
Jhall  rejoice  and  bloffom  as  the  rofe.  It  Jhall  bloffom 
abundantly ',  and  rejoice  even  with' joy- and  Jinging.  The. 
glory  of  Lebanon  Jhall  be  given  unto  it,  the  excellency  of 
Sharon  and  Carmel  •,  they  jbdl  fee  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  excellency  of  our  God. 

THIS  is  one  of  the  firft  Towns*  which  our  fathers 
planted  in  the  wildernefs  ;  it  hath  ever  enjoyed  d 
fafe  protection  from  the  barbarians.  The  preach- 
ing of  the  word,  arid  adminiftration  of  ordinances 
was  early  fet  up*  on  this  f pot  of  ground.  No  chur- 
ches have  enjoyed  more  excellent  advantages  thari 
this,  under  the  able  and  long  miniftry  of  the  re- 
nowned Eliot  and  Walter,  affifted  by  the  worthy 
Weld,  Danforth  and  others,.  *  Under  their  long 

and 

*  The  ctiurch  in  Roxlury  was  gathered  in  July  1632,  and 

then  the  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  invefted  with  the  paftoral 

office  ;  but  in  1639,  he  returned  to  England. 
In  Nov.  1632,  the  Rev.  John  Eliot,  was  made  a  teacher  of 

this  church —  he  died  may  20,   1690. 
Sept.  24,  1650,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Danforth,  was  ordained 

paftor  ;  and  died  Nov.  iq,   1674. 
061.  17,  1688,  the  Rev.  Nebemiah  Walter,  was  ordained 

paftor  ;  and  died  Sept.  17,  1750. 
Oft.  19,  1718,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Walter,  was  ordained  co- 

paftor  ;  and  died  Jan,   10,  1725. 
Nov.  7,  1750,  the  Rev.  Oliver Peabody,  was  ordained  paftor; 

he  died  May  29,  1752* 


56  Religious  Liberty 

and  eminent  minittry,  we  believe,  many  were  made, 
meet,  to  be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  faints  in 
light  ;  whom  we  exped  to  meet  .  in  heaven.  To 
their  inftrudive  mimftry  it  is,  under  God,  to  be  af^ 
cribed,  in  fome  meafure,  that  this  people  have  been, 
ib  remarkably  fteady  to  the  principles  of  our  puritan 
fathers,  and  that  we  walk  in  gofpel  order,  with  fo 
much  unity  and  love  ;  behold  how  good  and  how  plea- 
fant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity. 


where  nre  they,  and  the  prophets,  do 
they  live  for  ever  ?  They  are  long  fince  fallen  on 
fleepj  and  gone  to.  Chrift,  and  have  left  their  fair 
inheritance  to  us  their  children.  Let  us  not  forfake, 
the  God  of  our  fathers,  now  the  wilde.rnefs  is  become 
a  fruitful  Jie  id.  They  had  their  failings,  but  their 
virtues  were  eminent  ;  they  loved  God,  they  loved 
his  ordinances,  here  they  found  rdt  and  pleafure. 
A  new  country,  the  bare  ncceifaries  of  life,  a  land 
full  of  favages,  where  they  had  undiilurbed  com- 
munion in  gofpel  ordinances,  was  dearer  to  them 
than  the  garden  of  the  world,  while  they  wanted  the 
food  for  their  fouls,  Thus  Jaith  the  Lord,  I  r  member 
thee,  the  kindnefs  of  thy  youth  t  the  love  cf  thine  epou- 
Jals,  when  thou  wentefl  after  me  in  the  wildernefs,  in  a 
land  that  was  not  j  own  Oh  let.  us  remember  from 
whence  we  are  fallen,  and  repent  and  do  our  firft' 
works.  Let  us  love  the  word  and  the  ordinances 
of  Chrift,  as  they  loved  them.  Let  us  drive  to  re- 
vive primitive  religion,  and  approve  ourfelves  the 
worthy  children  of  fuch  virtuous  anceftors.  The 
Lord  is  with  you,  while  ye  be  with  him  ;  and  if  ye  feek 
him  he  will  be  found  of  you  ;  but  if  ye  for  Jake  him,  he 
•will  forfake  you. 

BRTHREN,  ye  are  called  unto  liberty,  only  abufe 
fioc  liberty  for  an  occafion  to  the  flelh,  but  by  love 


tin  invaluable  BleJJing* 

ferve  one.  another.     Let  us,  by  no  means,  turn  the 
grace  of  God  into  licentioufnefs  ;  let  us  fteadily  at- 
tend the  word  of  God  j  devoutly  obferve  his  infti- 
tutions. — Let  us  abound  in  the  fruits  of  righteouf- 
nefs  ;  in  that  piety,  honefty,   love  and  goodnefs, 
which  will  recommend  our  worlhip  to  all  that  be- 
Jiold  our.gpod  convention  in  Cfrrift.     Let  us  not  reft 
in  the  form  of  godlinefs,  denying  the  power  thereof, 
Let  us  fee  that  we  have  that. heart-purity,  which  is 
more  than  any  external  form  \  for  unlefs  we  are 
real,  hearty,  devout  chriltians,  who  worjhip  God  in 
the  fpirit^  we. may  perifh  from  the  pureft  church  in 
the  world,  and  all  thefe,  facred  liberties  will  avail 
us  nothing  to  our  faivation. 

BLESSED  fa  the  Lord,  that  hath  given  reft  unto  his, 
people* — the  Lord  our  .God  be  with  us,  as  he  was  witfr 
fathers,  let  him  not  leave  us>  nor  for  fake  us. 


AMEN, 


tf^\  *^  <S^  &i\  **&.  ^^  jW^ 


The  HYMN,  fung  after  Serrnon, 

%  A  RiSE>  °  King  of  grace,  arife, 
JLX-  <c  and  enter  to  tny  reft, 

^  Lo  !  thy  church  waits  with  longing 
V:  thus  to  be  own'd  and  bkft, 

&  Enter,  with  all  thy  glorious  train, 

"  thy  fpirit  and  thy  word  , 
\\  All  that  the  ark  did  once  contain, 

cc  could  no  fuch  grace  afford. 

*c  Here,  mighty  God,  accept  our  yovys^ 
"  here  let  thy  praife  be  fpread  \ 

\e.  Elefs  the  provifions  of  thy  houfea 
V.  and  fill  thy  poor  with  bread. 


I 


\ 


